


I Want You To Ruin My Life

by LilacChocolate



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Bastille Day, Birthday, Breast Play, Child Abuse, Christmas, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Dirty Talk, F/F, F/M, First Kiss, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Identity Reveal, Kissing, Nipple Play, Reveal, Skype, Sleepy Cuddles, Smut, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, domestic abuse, thigh riding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2020-09-28 19:21:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 47,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20431136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilacChocolate/pseuds/LilacChocolate
Summary: Believing his father's intentions to be good, Adrien steals the black cat miraculous in exchange for a life outside of the Agreste Mansion. There's one catch, though: he must become a bully at his new school to get people akumatised so Ladybug will come out and play.He agrees, but starts to regret his decision when falls in love with Marinette, one of his classmates. Can their relationship survive this, or will it ruin them and all of Paris?





	1. Origins

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, sooooooooo  
This is going to be a bit different? Essentially, it's a rewrite of the first and second series but they don't get their miraculouses until they're 17/18 and Adrien is a bit mean. I had to rewatch a lot of (read: all) of the episodes and a lot of will be similar in terms of akuma attacks (to a certain extent), and I have a feeling you'll enjoy this fic more if you haven't seen any series one or series two episodes in a while. Or not, idk let's see how this goes.
> 
> Also, there will be child abuse/domestic abuse (I guess it's classed as that after Adrien turns 18) and it's not like a one-off. It's going to happen A LOT, so here's your pre-warning (but I will put warnings at the start of each chapter it's in, and the same goes for other NSFW stuff).  
And the abuse happens briefly in this chapter, too.
> 
> Enjoy! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧  
(Hopefully)

**Friday 30th August 2019**

Adrien paused for a moment, trying to catch his breath through the material of the balaclava. Out of all the things he’d been expecting to do tonight, this was not one of them. But he had to do it, for the sake of his mum. This was the only way he could get her back. And if he didn’t do it… he didn’t want to think about the repercussions from his father.

He carefully walked across the roof of the apartment building, approaching the open skylight, and peered in. It was a simple one-room apartment. Not that Adrien had ever been inside one. Bar his photo shoots, he’d spent his life locked away inside the Agreste Mansion. Through the window, he could see a small kitchen, a breakfast bar, a settee, a small television, and a bed. Asleep on it was a balding man and Adrien bit his lip. He felt bad: he was about to steal from him. But he couldn’t not do it. All he had to do was steal a ring and some earrings, then his mum would be back with them. This man would understand.

The blond seventeen-year-old pried open the skylight so he could fit inside, then he slowly wriggled his way into the apartment and landed softly on top of a bedside cabinet that he hadn’t seen before.

He glanced back over at the old man. Still asleep.

Adrien got down from the cabinet and glanced around the room. It was dark, and he couldn’t risk turning the lights on. He would have to find this so-called “miracle box” by touch and moonlight.

He slowly searched through the apartment, avoiding the bedroom area and starting with the kitchen. He checked all of the cupboards and the drawers in the breakfast bar, but sat down on the settee when he came up with nothing.

His father had sketched him a picture of the miracle box. It was fairly large, octagonal in shape, and black with red markings on. Adrien glanced back over at the kitchen cupboards. It was too big to fit in there. Maybe it was underneath something?

He rose from the settee and tiptoed over to the bed. After checking that the old man was still sleeping, Adrien crouched down and waved his arm back and forth. There was nothing under here.

He sat back on his haunches. Anywhere else?

He glanced around again and smiled when his gaze landed on the settee. It was the perfect height to hide the miracle box under. He crawled over to it and waved his arm back and forth, and this time, his hand hit something wooden. He grabbed it and pulled, and the miracle box came out.

It was exactly like his father had described to him: black, red, and octagonal. He lifted the lid, and immediately, dozens of small drawers all opened, but that wasn’t what alarmed Adrien.

In the top tray, curled up next to a bee-themed hair comb, was a tiny creature. It was green with… a shell on it’s back? Was this a kwami? He knew his dad had one, but he didn’t mention him much. Either way, Adrien had to be careful. He didn’t know if it could talk.

He peered at all of the jewellery and he bit his lip. His father had said a ring and some earrings… which were right next to the snoozing kwami. Amazing. He reached for the ring first, but as the tips of the fingers touched the metal, the kwami woke up and shoved his hand out of the way.

‘What do you think you’re doing?!’

‘I-I…’ Adrien stood up, frightened by the small creature, and in the process, knocked over the miracle box, scattering the jewellery inside all over the room.

‘Master Fu, Master Fu!’ the little creature shouted, but Adrien ignored him. He couldn’t leave here empty-handed.

‘Wake up, Master! Someone is here!’

There was a groggy hum from the bed and Adrien got down on his hands and knees, fumbling in the dark. His hand closed around the ring and he quickly put it in his pocket, but he couldn’t find the earrings. Where were they?!

‘Oi!’

Adrien hissed in pain as he was hit over the back of the head with a book. He scrambled up and darted over to the bedside cabinet.

‘Hey! Don’t leave! I need you to return whatever you took!’

The blond boy glanced at the old man. ‘I’m sorry,’ he whispered, then he disappeared out of the skylight.

Master Fu jogged towards it, but by the time he reached it, the boy had gone.

‘What do we do now?’ Wayzz asked.

The old man sighed. ‘Okay, we need to leave. We can’t stay here. But first, we need to find all of the miraculouses and see what’s missing. We already have two missing ones. I can’t afford to have more.’

‘What if he has the ladybird earrings, though?’

He sighed: he could only hope they didn’t.

Adrien narrowed his eyes as he listened to their conversation. Luckily for them, he didn’t get the earrings, but he’d at least got one miraculous. One was better than none.

…

A slap resounded throughout Hawkmoth’s lair. One was not better than none.

‘You stupid boy!’

Adrien bowed his head. He had always sought approval from his father and had never received it. But if he could do this, which would bring his mother back to life, then maybe his father would finally show him some affection. And if his father didn’t, then his mother would be back and she would offer it to him. She had died five years ago, but Adrien remembered her well. She had given him affection in spades.

‘I’m sorry, father.’

Gabriel huffed and turned away from his son. There was another way to get the ladybird miraculous, but it would be a lot harder. He turned back around and held out the black cat ring to Adrien.

‘Take it.’

With shaking hands, he did. ‘Why?’

‘You’re going to use it to get the ladybird miraculous.’

‘How?’

Gabriel rolled his eyes. ‘This is what I want you to do. On Monday, all of the schools in France will be returning for the next academic year. You will be with them.’

Adrien’s eyes lit up. ‘Really?!’

‘Quiet! You will be with them, but for the sole purpose of drawing out the wearer of the ladybird miraculous. I can only akumatise people when they feel negative emotions. You must bully or rile up other students who I can akumatise to get whoever owns the earrings to come out and play. Can you do that?’

Adrien bit his lip. He didn’t want to. He wasn’t that sort of person. But he was being given the chance to go to school, to escape this mansion for several hours a day and several times a week. It was what he’d always wanted. He couldn’t refuse. And he’d get his mother back, too. Nothing bad could come of it.

‘Yes.’


	2. Stoneheart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette and Adrien use their miraculouses for the first time when Ivan is akumatised.

**Monday 2nd September 2019**

Marinette groaned as her alarm blared away. She’d been getting herself up for school since she was ten years old. After seven years, the sound of her alarm still agonized her.

She fumbled around for her phone and found it half hidden under her pillow. Through bleary-eyes, she pressed something on the screen and the alarm stopped. She let out a satisfied groan and closed her eyes again: a few more minutes wouldn’t hurt.

…

…

…

‘Marinette!’ her mum shouted from downstairs, and she jolted awake.

She reached for her phone again. 8:34. School started at nine. Marinette groaned into her pillow and forced herself out of bed. She wouldn’t have time for a shower even though her school was only across the road. She would only have time to get dressed, do her hair, and grab a croissant for breakfast.

Marinette forced herself out of bed and down the ladder that led to it, and stood in front of her wardrobe, just staring at her clothes. Come on, she could do this. She was applying to go to fashion college soon. She could put an outfit together, even if she had only got up twenty seconds ago.

She glanced at her window. It was sunny, and more than likely hot, since it had been yesterday okay, so… a skirt? Marinette grabbed the first one she came across: a denim mini skirt. She stared at it for a moment before picking out a strappy black top and light blue, white and brown flannel shirt. This would be okay for today.

By the time she’d finished fumbling and got it on though, it was now quarter to nine.

With a sigh, she pulled a brush through her hair but left it down: she had no time to do anything with it. Marinette grabbed her school bag then, sending a thank you in her head to herself for packing it last night, and went downstairs to the bakery.

Her mum was stood out in the hallway, her hands on her hips and a fond smile on her face. ‘Good morning! You’re not late. Yet.’

Marinette rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll be fine, mum.’ When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she kissed her mum on the cheek.

‘Come on, your dad made you some macaroons to take with you.’

Macaroons followed her mum into the bakery and Tom turned around with a large smile on his face, completely ignoring the person he was currently serving. ‘Marinette!’ he exclaimed and welcomed his daughter into his arms. ‘I can’t believe you’re starting your final year at high school. It seems like only yesterday you were starting elementary school.’ Her dad sniffed.

‘Dad…’

‘I’m fine.’ He pulled away and handed Marinette a rectangular box, along with a croissant. ‘Have a good day.’

‘Thanks, dad,’ Marinette said, then kissed him on the cheek before she left the bakery.

By the time she reached the crossing by Dupont, Marinette had practically inhaled the croissant and checked her phone. 8:55. She bounced on the balls of her feet, watching the traffic carefully. _Come on, come on…_

Suddenly, an old man from the side of the street Marinette was stood on walked out into the road. He hobbled across the road, leaning on his stick, and the cars approaching the crossing started beeping their horns.

Marinette squeaked and ran into the road, grabbed the man by the elbow, and gently pulled him to the opposite side.

‘Are you okay?’ she asked, glancing over the old man briefly. He had balding grey hair and was wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, but other than his walking stick, he seemed fine.

He smiled up at her. ‘Yes, thank you. I wouldn’t normally do something like that, but I’m in a hurry.’

Marinette smiled. ‘That’s alright. Just be more careful next time.’

The man narrowed his eyes. ‘Are those macaroons I can smell?’ he asked.

Marinette opened the box, relieved she hadn’t broken any in her dash across the road. She had been very clumsy when she’d been younger, and whilst she still was, it wasn’t as bad as it once was. ‘Would you like one?’

He took one from the box and popped it in his mouth. ‘Mm, tasty.’

The school bell rang then and Marinette shut the box. ‘I’m sorry, but I really have to be going or I’ll be late for school. Will you be okay?’

He smiled. ‘I’ll be fine.’

Marinette smiled at him, then she scampered up the steps to Dupont and jogged to her classroom. She knew which one it was. It had been the same every year since she was thirteen. Except this time, Chloé was sat in her seat.

‘Chloé, you know that’s my seat.’

The blonde huffed. ‘Don’t you think I know that by now, Dupain-Cheng? Believe me, I _would_ have sat in my seat, but she was there.’ Chloé jerked her head over to her usual seat and Marinette turned to look.

Sat in Sabrina’s seat was a girl with glasses and auburn hair. Marinette had never seen her before, but she seemed nice.

‘Okay, so?’ Marinette said. ‘You can still sit there, Chloé. You don’t need to take my seat.’

Chloé scoffed. ‘Do you honestly expect _me _to sit without Sabrina? And I don’t even know that other girl. Haven’t you ever heard of stranger danger, Dupain-Cheng? Besides, my best friend, Adrikins, is starting here today, and if he sits there,’ she said, motioning to the spare seat next to Nino, ‘we can talk all lesson long.’

Nino turned around then. ‘Chloé dude, please, don’t talk during class. I want to pass my exams.’

‘Shut up, Lahiffe.’ She turned back to Marinette. ‘Either way, this is my seat now.’

Marinette rolled her eyes. ‘Fine. Be rude. Or should I say, be yourself.’

Chloé glared at her then. ‘I resent that comment.’

‘Resent it all you like, but it’s true.’ Marinette walked over to where the new girl was and put her bag down before she sat in Chloé’s seat. ‘You’ll get used to her soon.’

The new girl smiled. ‘I doubt it. I’m Alya, by the way.’

‘Marinette.’

Mme Bustier entered the classroom then, bright and cheery as usual. ‘Good morning, class.’

They all murmured their responses back and Mme Bustier rolled her eyes fondly.

‘Alright, so, last year of high school, everyone. Final exams will be in June and July, and we need to be filling in university or job applications, depending on what you want. We also have two new students joining us: Alya Césaire and Adrien Agreste.’ She frowned then. ‘He doesn’t seem to have arrived yet. Okay, Marinette, will you come with me to get some exercise books?’

Marinette nodded and followed her teacher out of the room, but all the while, Chloé glared at her.

…

Adrien’s left leg jiggled up and down as the Gorilla drove to Dupont at a snail’s pace. He was _so _late. But maybe that was his father’s intention. If he was late, then maybe that would rile his teacher up. Part of him wanted to make a good first impression, but a larger part of him wanted his mother back. She was so wonderful. Adrien would do anything to see her again. Including this.

_Finally, _the Gorilla came to a stop outside Dupont, and Adrien grabbed his bag. ‘Thank you, see you after school!’ he shouted as he climbed out of the car, but as he ran towards the school steps, he careered into an old man, sending them both onto the ground.

Adrien got up first and brushed himself off, then he went over to the old man to help him up.

‘Are you alright?’ he asked, trying to stop the recognition from showing on his face. This man… this is the one who he had stolen from.

The man looked up at him with a smile on his face. ‘I’m fine. Thank you for helping me, young man.’

‘It’s alright. It’s the least I could do for knocking you over.’ Adrien smiled, then he went over to where his school bag lay on the ground. He placed it back on his shoulder and lifted the flap to check the contents. Nestled between his water bottle and pencil case was the black cat miraculous. He hadn’t put it on yet. He wouldn’t until he needed to.

He jogged up the steps to the school and took his phone out, following the instructions his principal, M Damocles, had emailed to him. He was to go straight to his classroom on arrival, but Adrien stood and stared for a moment at the courtyard before him. This was a school. An actual proper _school._ Most seventeen-year-old boys probably didn’t get excited about that, but he was beyond ecstatic to be here. Even if he was here for far more than getting an education.

He followed the directions he’d been given to his classroom, and as soon as he entered, he saw his childhood friend, Chloé Bourgeois, putting gum on someone’s chair.

‘Marinette was only telling the truth!’ the girl sat in the seat beside the gum exclaimed and Chloé just huffed.

‘Dupain-Cheng is a liar. She can’t expect to go around and be able to say those things. I’ll have you know that my daddy can sue her for defamation.’

Adrien rolled his eyes. ‘Really, Chloé?’

The blonde girl gasped as she turned around. ‘Adrikins?!’

He gave her a small smile, then she was launching herself at him.

‘I haven’t seen you in so long! I didn’t think you were going to make it today!’

‘Yeah, sorry, I was a bit late. But that doesn’t make it okay to put gum on someone’s chair.’ He pushed Chloé away from him then and grabbed a tissue out of the box on the teacher’s desk and went over to the chair with the gum on, trying to ease if off using the tissue.

It was stuck pretty fast, but he was halfway there, and if he just… oh. He should probably stop. He could use this to try and akumatise whoever this Marinette-girl was.

‘What are you doing to my seat?’

Adrien stood up then, shocked by the sweet-sounding voice behind him, and he couldn’t help but feel his heartbeat speed up when he saw the girl addressing him. She was almost an entire head smaller than him with black hair, bluebell eyes, and pretty pink lips. She would have looked stunning if she hadn’t been glaring at him.

‘I-I…’ he stuttered. How could he turn this around? ‘I was putting gum on your chair.’

The girl raised an eyebrow. ‘I don’t even know you.’

‘Yeah, well, I heard you deserved it.’

The girl in the other seat tutted. ‘Ignore him, Marinette. He’s lying. Chloé did it. _This_ is her precious Adrikins.’

Marinette shook her head. ‘Of course, he is. I wouldn’t expect anything less from one of her friends.’

‘Excuse me, Dupain-Cheng,’ Chloé shrieked, ‘but _my _Adrikins is not like that.’

‘Keep telling yourself that.’

‘You’re ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!’

Marinette rolled her eyes and put the books Adrien hadn’t even realised she’d been holding down on the teacher’s desk. She returned to her seat, stepped around Adrien, and removed the gum herself before taking it to the bin.

The whole time, though, Adrien stood in the same spot, only moving his head. He was completely transfixed by her. He hadn’t met very many girls. He’d posed with a couple during photo shoots, but those occasions were few and far between since his father usually preferred for him to model alone, and those female models didn’t usually talk to him, and when they did, they came across as vapid and shallow. Marinette didn’t. She wasn’t tall enough to be a model, but she dressed and carried herself like she was one, despite the sporadic stumble in her walk. And if she could stand up to Chloé, then she definitely seemed to possess more intelligence and integrity then most people Adrien knew. Which, to be fair, wasn’t a great number of people, but she stood out against everyone in the class, and not just because of her beauty.

She sat down then and stared up at Adrien. ‘What? Are you going to apologise?’

‘I-’

‘Ah! You must be Adrien!’

He looked up then and smiled when he saw who he presumed was his teacher. ‘Hi. It’s nice to meet you.’

She returned his smile. ‘I’m Miss Bustier. Why don’t you sit beside Nino?’ she offered, gesturing to the empty seat opposite Marinette.

Adrien slid into it quickly and risked a glance across the aisle at Marinette. She didn’t look angry anymore, and was now attentive. Why was he so fascinated by her?

‘Okay, so, you missed this before, so I’ll say it again for you, Adrien. This is your last year of high school, so we need to be applying for universities and jobs, and final exams are in the sum-’

‘Kim!’

The whole class turned around to see an enraged Ivan out of his seat, trying to pry something out of a laughing Kim’s hands.

‘Ivan, sit down!’ Mme Bustier shouted, and with a huff, he did, and their teacher sighed. ‘Adrien, I’ll have to tell you all this later. For now, we need to get on with class. Half of you will be going to the stadium for P.E., and the other half will stay here for music class. The half going to the stadium will be Adrien, Kim, Max, Rose, Juleka, Alix, and Mylène. Kim, since you’re so disruptive, you can help Adrien get there.’

Adrien stood up with the rest of the P.E. students, but Chloé reached forwards and pulled on his arm. ‘Will you be okay without me, Adrikins?’

‘I’ll be fine.’

Kim slung an arm around Adrien’s shoulders then. ‘He’ll be with me, Chloé. You’ve got nothing to worry about.’

The blonde girl huffed. ‘That’s what I _am_ worried about.’

Kim just laughed and led Adrien out of the room, but the model couldn’t help but glance back and look at Marinette. She was talking to the girl next to her, and a radiant smile took over her face. God, he wanted her to smile at him like that.

‘I saw that,’ Kim said as they exited the school and headed for the metro entrance.

‘Saw what?’ Adrien asked.

‘You looking at Marinette.’

A blush overcame the blonde’s face. ‘I-I wasn’t looking at her.’

‘There’s no use in denying it. Every guy in the school has had a crush on her. Who is it at the minute, Max?’

The other boy came to the side of Adrien Kim wasn’t on. ‘Impossible to say. There are too many variables. Marinette’s beauty, kindness, intelligence, caring nature, plus her infinite supply of cake… I’m not sure. But out of our class, I would guess that at the moment, both Nino and Nathaniel have feelings for her.’

Adrien bit his lip, as if that would help distract him for the jealousy he was now feeling.

Kim sighed as they got on the train. ‘Ah, they’re going to get their hearts broken. Like me, in my first year of high school. And like you, in your third year, Max.’

The other boy sighed. ‘Yes. It’s inevitable, Adrien. You’ll fall for her, then she’ll break your heart when she rejects you.’

Adrien narrowed his eyes. ‘Wait, how do you know she would reject me?’

‘Ah! So you do like her!’ Kim shouted and Adrien shook his head.

‘N-no. I only met her today. I’m just saying… how would you know she would reject me?’

‘Marinette rejects everyone,’ Max said. ‘She always says the same thing.’

‘You’re very nice, but I’m sorry, I just don’t have feelings for you,’ Kim and Max recited together.

‘Whoever gets her in the end will be very lucky,’ Kim said, and Adrien just nodded. If he hadn’t been captivated with her before, he certainly was now.

…

Marinette balanced her chin in the palm of her hand as she stared out of the classroom window. Everyone else had gone to the bathroom and they would all come back before they headed to their music class, but Marinette wasn’t concerned with that. She was instead thinking about that boy.

Adrien.

She should have recognised his face the moment she saw him. She wanted to be a fashion designer. Of course, she knew who Adrien _Agreste_ was. And she’d been so rude to him. But he’d deserved it! She tried to be kind to everyone, but he was putting gum on her chair. Or he wasn’t? She didn’t really understand why he said that if he hadn’t done it in the first place. But either way, she’d been rude to him and completely messed up any chances she had working for _Gabriel. _That was, if he told his father about how she’d acted. But why should she even apologise? He’d been so rude.

Marinette groaned and Mme Bustier glanced over at her. ‘You alright?’

‘Yes, miss.’

Mme Bustier smiled and Marinette returned to staring out of the window, trying to stop thinking about Adrien. She _should_ have recognised him. It was stupid she hadn’t. She’d seen dozens and dozens of pictures of him and every time, it had sent her heart into a frenzy. And he looked so much more handsome in real life. She held in another groan. She couldn’t fall for him. He was friends with _Chloé_. Why would he be friends with her, of all people? And he’d been rude to her, too. Not to mention, he was way better looking than her. There would never be anything between them. She would sit opposite him all year, and then she would never see him again. The way it should be.

The rest of the class came back then, but as they grabbed their bags to head to the music classroom, Mme Bustier frowned. ‘Where’s Ivan?’ she asked.

Before anyone could reply, there was a loud roar from outside and the whole class turned to the window. Outside, a huge man made out of stone was wandering around, and he let out another shout:

‘Kim!’

Mme Bustier gasped. ‘Okay, class, go straight home! Please be careful!’

The students left without hesitation, and Marinette ran back home. What was that thing?! People were running around everywhere, trying to get away from it as it walked in the direction of the stadium. Could it mean Kim from her class? That’s where he would be. Marinette bit her lip. Should she go and help? How could she, though? He was a huge stone man!

She paused outside the bakery and took out her phone, selecting Kim’s number in her contacts. No answer. He was probably still on the metro. He wouldn’t have any signal. She would have to try again later.

She turned and entered the bakery, and a moment later, her dad ran for the door and locked it behind her.

‘Thank god, you’re okay,’ he said, as he and her mum both welcomed her into a hug.

‘Miss Bustier sent us all home. What’s going on?’

Sabine sighed. ‘I’m not sure. Nadja reported on it, but she doesn’t know either. They’re going to send in the army. Why don’t you go to your room, darling? Get a head start on your homework.’

‘I don’t have any yet. We didn’t even get to the start of the first class.’

‘Well, then, go and do some sewing. Or drawing. Or something.’

Marinette could tell her mum was scared, so she nodded. ‘Okay. I’ll be in my room. Everything will be okay.’ She kissed her mum on the cheek and went up to her room. She shut the trap door behind her and threw herself on her chaise. What a great first day back at school this was. Only in Paris could _this_ happen.

With a sigh, she reached for her school bag and fumbled around for her sketchbook, but her hand closed around something unfamiliar. With narrowed eyes, she pulled it out, and stared at the red and black hexagonal box she was now holding. Where had this come from? It certainly hadn’t been in her bag last night when she’d packed it.

Cautiously, she opened it, revealing a pair of red and black polka dot earrings inside. She’d _definitely _never seen these before.

Suddenly, the earrings began to pulse with a bright pink light, and with a shriek, Marinette dropped the box and leapt over the back of the chaise.

When the light had vanished and Marinette had got her breath back, she risked a peek over the top of her chaise. The earrings in the box had gone, and were now being held by…

She let out another shriek when she saw the red and black spotted creature holding the earrings.

‘No! Don’t shout!’ it said, it’s voice impossibly high-pitched, and flew over to Marinette.

‘You’re a… you’re a…’ Marinette was at a loss for words.

‘I’m a kwami!’ it said, voice bright and happy. ‘My name is Tikki and I am the kwami of the Ladybird miraculous! And you are the new holder of this miraculous.’

‘I’m the what?’

‘The new holder. It’s nice to meet you! What’s your name?’

‘Marinette. What does being the new holder mean?’

‘Here, put these in.’

Tikki dropped the earrings in Marinette’s hand and she put them in, still in a daze. What was going on?

‘Now, what?’

‘Okay, you need to listen to me first before you do anything. So, when you shout “Spots on”, you will transform into a superhero. You’ll have increased physical strength and dexterity and a magical yoyo that will help you move around the city and defeat akumas. Now, an akuma is a butterfly that has infected a person who feels negative in any way. An evil man named Hawk Moth sends them out. You need to attack the akumatised person and find the object on them that akumatised them. You must destroy it, then cleanse the akuma. To help you, if you shout “Lucky Charm”, you will be given a special object to help you save the day. And when you’re finished, you need to throw the object into the air and shout “Miraculous Ladybug”. It will clear up any damage done. But be careful: once you activate your lucky charm, you will only have five minutes left before you transform back. Your earrings will count it down for you. You can’t let anyone know your secret identity. That’s why Hawk Moth sends out these akumas – to get your miraculous, and you can’t let that happen. And you need to get his back. He’s evil. Do you understand?’

Marinette just stared at Tikki. ‘No.’

Tikki sighed. ‘Look, shout “Spots on”, then “Lucky Charm”, then “Miraculous Ladybug”, and the goal is to cleanse the akumatised person, but also to get Hawk Moth’s miraculous. And above all, do not_, _I repeat, do _not _let anyone know your true identity and never take your earrings out.’

‘Ever?’

‘Ever. Don’t do it yourself, and don’t let anyone do it for you. Okay? Now, come on! Transform! That stone man will seriously hurt someone soon! We can talk more later!’ she finished with a smile. There was still the business of the blond boy who had taken Plagg and the black cat miraculous, and Master Fu had told her to tell the person he gave her to, but Tikki didn’t want to. From what he and Wayzz had said, he was young and impressionable, and could probably be changed for the better. And Plagg would try and convince him to change, too, once he realised that he’d been stolen by his wearer. But maybe she should warn her own wearer in case the boy showed up today. ‘Actually, wait-’

‘Spots on!’ Marinette shouted, and once again, the room filled with pink light, and then a moment later, she was transformed and she glanced in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall.

Her feet, legs, chests, arms, and hands were completely covered in a red and black polka dot material. It was an odd material, too. It felt a bit like latex, but it was heavier, and no matter how much she tried to pinch it, it wouldn’t budge. Tied around her waist was what she presumed was her magical yoyo, and on her face was a mask that matched her costume. Marinette tugged on it, but like the suit, it wouldn’t move. She grimaced when she saw her hair, though. It was in two little pigtails, each tied with a red ribbon. She hadn’t worn her hair in pigtails since she was… maybe thirteen? She didn’t like that style anymore, but she had to admit, it suited the costume.

There was another roar from outside and Marinette flinched. Right. She had a job to do.

She climbed up to her balcony, and in the distance, she could see the stone man, still heading for the stadium. She took her yoyo out and gave it a few cursory spins before she threw it to her neighbour’s chimney. As soon as it wrapped around the pipe, it launched Marinette over to it and she let out a shriek. This was going to take some getting used to.

…

‘Kim!’

Adrien, Kim, Max, Rose, Juleka, Alix, and Mylène had only just arrived at the stadium, but they heard the booming shout when they were halfway across the pitch.

They all turned around, eyes wide when they saw the huge stone man looming over the stadium, and they all screamed and dispersed as his foot came crashing down onto the pitch.

‘Run, everyone!’ Adrien shouted, and they all did, but despite his size, the stone man was quick, and he started to back Kim into a corner. Adrien had to do something, but what?

He gasped, remembering about the ring, and darted into the locked room. It was completely empty: everyone would have gone as soon as they heard the shouts. He sat down on a bench and took the ring out of his bag. It was nothing special, just a plain silver band. He slipped it on, and the room filled with a bright green light.

He’d seen his father do this dozens of times with his broach, and he knew a kwami would appear next, and he smiled when he opened his eyes and saw a tiny black creature with large green eyes staring up at him.

‘Who are you?’ it asked.

‘My name’s Adrien.’ He held out his hand, as if for the kwami to shake, but he ignored it and flew up so he was only a centimetre away from his face.

‘I wasn’t told that I would be getting a new wearer.’

Adrien laughed nervously. ‘It was sort of a last minute thing. Your name’s Plagg, right?’ His father had already told him a lot about the miraculouses.

The kwami nodded. ‘Alright, well, you need to know how to transform and –’

‘I already know the phrase. And it’s “Cataclysm” for my power and after I use it, I have five minutes left until I transform back. Anything else?’

Plagg stared at him with narrowed eyes. ‘I need to recharge after you change back. And I only eat camembert.’

Adrien groaned. ‘Seriously?’

‘You want magic, kid, that’s the price you’ve got to pay.’

‘Fine. Let’s do this. Claws out!’

The locker room filled with the bright green light again and Adrien twisted this way and that to get a good look at himself. Steel toe-capped boots, a black leather-latex cat suit, a belt for a tail, a mask, ears, and a silver baton. As first days at high school went, this had to be the most unique by far.

He ran out of the locker room, only to be greeted with the sight of the stone man trying to stomp on Kim. Adrien needed a plan and quick. The general plan had been to wait until whoever had the Ladybird miraculous showed up and take their earrings, but they weren’t here yet. And if he waited any longer, then Kim would be flattened. Adrien would have to change tactics. Perhaps it would be for the best to help Kim for now, that way, he could get on the side of the person with the Ladybird miraculous and coerce them into handing over the earrings. That sounded better.

He sprinted across the pitch, taking out and extending his baton as he went, and he slid under the stone man’s foot, holding it up the baton to stop him from standing on Kim.

‘Run!’ Adrien shouted, and Kim did, rolling out of the way just as the stone man lifted away his foot from the metal baton.

Kim sprinted to the exit, and the stone man followed him, but Adrien darted in front of him and tried to hold him back by pressing his baton against one of his stone legs.

‘Hey, listen, boulder guy. We need to wait a bit. Can you just calm down?!’

He growled down at Adrien. ‘My name is Stoneheart!’ he roared.

He went for Adrien then and he did two backflips away from him, then extended his baton up so he could climb up onto the edge of the stadium’s slightly curved over roof. ‘That was a close one…’

‘It was. Sorry I wasn’t here earlier.’

Adrien looked up and his eyes widened when he saw the girl stood beside him who was dressed head to toe in red and black polka dots. Instead of being rude and immediately reaching for her earrings, he leant on his baton and smirked at her. ‘Don’t worry. I had it handled. I’m… Chat Noir,’ he said after a moment of consideration.

‘I’m… Ladybug. Yes, Ladybug.’

‘Please to meet you, my Lady,’ he drawled, trying to sound like he genuinely cared. He was sure she was a lovely person beneath the mask, but he automatically hated her. What he and his father were doing was good. But befriending Ladybug seemed the easiest way to get her miraculous right now.

‘What should we do about him?’ she asked, just staring at Stoneheart. His face was framed with a weird purple butterfly-shaped outline, and when it faded, Stoneheart set off again, completely ignoring the two of them. He climbed back over the stadium walls and started heading in the direction of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat Noir groaned: his father had told Stoneheart where Kim had gone. ‘Come on! We have to follow him!’

Together, the two of them ran across Paris’ rooftops, the city eerily quiet for midmorning. But when they got to the Eiffel Tower, it was completely surrounded by the police and the military, all of whom had guns pointing at Stoneheart, who was slowly approaching the Tower and Kim, who was taking refuge underneath the structure. But he wouldn’t be safe there for much longer.

‘We have to get closer,’ Ladybug said as they perched on the top of the Palais de Chaillot.

‘But the army-’

‘That boy is in the danger. And so is the person who’s been akumatised.’

Chat Noir watched as Ladybug threw her yoyo so it wrapped itself around the nearest lamppost and then jumped so she was between Stoneheart and Kim.

‘That’s enough, Stoneheart!’ she shouted up at him, but someone laughed from behind her.

‘Oh, I don’t think it is.’

She turned around, and hovering just above the first stage of the Eiffel Tower was a face made out of purple butterflies, snarling down at her.

‘You’re Hawk Moth, aren’t you?’

He smiled then. ‘Yes. I am. And I need your miraculous!’

‘You won’t ever get it,’ Ladybug said, remembering what Tikki had told her. She didn’t know why it was so important, but the kwami had been very insistent.

‘Oh, I will. And it’ll be sooner rather than later. Because right now, almost every single Parisian is feeling negative emotions, and my akumas will get them all! And then you’ll have no choice but to hand over your miraculous!’

Ladybug glared up at him. If this morning in class had proven anything, it was that she didn’t like bullies. And she certainly didn’t like someone who was threatening her city. ‘You’ll never get near it!’ she shouted, then she took out her yoyo and threw it up at the akumas.

Chat Noir stayed sat on the Palais de Chaillot, watching in complete amazement as Ladybug absolutely went for it, sweeping her yoyo back and forth, destroying Hawk Moth’s face and sending every single butterfly to the ground. She was completely insane.

Using his baton, he vaulted over the ranks of soldiers and police officers so he was stood beside Ladybug. ‘Not bad, Bugaboo.’ He held up his fist. ‘How about we-’

‘Not now, Chat!’ she said, her face still full of anger. ‘We need to hurry and defeat Stoneheart before those butterflies akumatise anyone else. Lucky Charm!’

…

Marinette slumped in her seat at school, trying not to let her eyes droop close. The Dupont students had been called back after lunch, since Stoneheart had been defeated, and now Marinette was pretty tired. It hadn’t taken long for her and Chat Noir to defeat Stoneheart after she called for her lucky charm, but once she had deakumatised Ivan and cleansed Paris, Officer Raincomprix and the soldiers had wanted to thank them, and by the time she was done, she only had thirty seconds left before she changed back. She had to hide in the Palais de Chaillot, then get the metro all the way back to school. All the physical exertion had taken it out of her, and now she was exhausted.

‘Marinette!’ Alya shouted as she came running into the classroom. ‘Can you believe what just happened?!’

‘Er, no. It was pretty insane, to be honest.’

‘I know, right?! But… I may have snuck out of my house and gone to film it.’

Marinette’s eyes widened. ‘You did what?!’

Alya giggled. ‘And they’re showing it on the news. Look!’ She fiddled with Mme Bustier’s computer for a moment, and then the TVi channel flashed up on the projector screen.

‘Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! Nadja Chamack here. Earlier today, a giant stone man named Stoneheart attacked Paris. It seemed all hope was lost until Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up. Let’s take a look at some amateur footage sent in by Alya Césaire.’

The screen transitioned to a shaky recording filmed on a mobile, but you could still see clearly what was happening. It was after the purple butterflies had dispersed, and it showed Ladybug shouting commands to Chat Noir as they both attacked Stoneheart.

It flipped back to Nadja then. ‘These two superheroes saved the day, but after Hawk Moth’s warning, it seems there will be more incidents like this on the way. Can they save us again? Paris is relying on our new guardian angels, Ladybug and Cat Noir, to save us all. Our lives depend on them.’

‘Isn’t she so badass?’ Alya asked as she closed the browser window.

‘Who? Nadja?’

Alya laughed. ‘No. Ladybug! Chat Noir’s pretty fly, too. I’ve started a blog for them!’ She thrust her phone into Marinette’s face, and loaded on the screen was the Ladyblog. There was only one article so far, but it had dozens of comments.

‘That’s really impressive, Alya.’

‘Thanks,’ she said as she sat down, more people coming back into the classroom now. ‘I really want to be a journalist, so if this takes off, it’ll look amazing on my university application.’

‘It will, but please be careful next time. It looked like you put yourself in a really dangerous situation.’

‘Don’t worry about me, girl. I got this handled. Speaking of which…’ Alya trailed off as she stared at Chloé and Sabrina’s empty seats. ‘Shall we go and sit over there?’

‘Are you sure? You’ll invoke the wrath of Chloé for all eternity.’

‘Ah, it’s fine. If I can handle the military and Stoneheart, I can handle her.’

They grabbed their bags, then hotfooted it to the other side of the classroom and sat down, Alya behind Nino, Marinette behind Adrien’s empty seat.

Nino turned around. ‘Dudes, as kick ass as that move is, Chloé will murder you both.’

‘Too right I will!’

The two girls rolled their eyes when they heard Chloé’s voice, and a quick glance to the door confirmed their suspicions. The blonde girl was stood in the doorframe, Sabrina at her side and Adrien just behind her.

Marinette felt her heart beat start to speed up, but she clenched her fists and turned away from the door. She wouldn’t let herself fall for Adrien. She couldn’t.

‘What are you two absolute idiots doing in our seats?!’ Chloé said as she and Sabrina came over.

Marinette rolled her eyes. ‘I don’t see your name on these seats. Besides, if you really want to talk about who owns them, then it’s me. I’ve sat here since I was thirteen. And Alya’s moved now, so you two can have your old seats back.’

Chloé huffed. ‘This isn’t over, Dupain-Cheng.’ She and Sabrina stalked off to their seats and Adrien sat down without a word, then Mme Bustier came in.

‘Okay, let’s try and start the day again. Time for geography class!’

A couple of the students groaned as they got out the correct textbook, but Adrien strained his ears, trying to listen to what Marinette was doing. He couldn’t see her now without being completely obvious about it. But it was probably for the best. This way, she would be out of his sight, and out of his mind.

Except she wasn’t. He concentrated on the lesson, but he also couldn’t stop himself from noticing every noise she made through their afternoon classes, and by the time it started to rain halfway through maths, he could still hear her over the soft pitter patter of the raindrops on the classroom windows. She hummed when she didn’t understand something, squeaked every time she accidentally kicked herself under the desk, and giggled softly whenever Alya whispered something funny to her. He wanted it to be him sat next to her. But he’d ruined his chances of that ever happening.

‘Alright!’ Mme Bustier shouted over the school bell. ‘You’ve got plenty of homework to be getting on with. Have a good evening everyone!’

They all started to pack away their belongings, and once they were out of the classroom, they all darted across the courtyard and to the sheltered entrance of the school to get out of the rain.

‘See you tomorrow, Marinette!’ Alya shouted before she ran with the majority of the class to the metro entrance. More students followed, until the only people left were Marinette, Adrien and Chloé.

A silver car pulled up a moment later, though, and one of the hotel staff got out of the car with an umbrella and came up the steps for Chloé.

‘Well, this is me. I’ll see you tomorrow, Adrikins.’

‘Bye, Chloé.’

She blew him a kiss over her shoulder, then she was escorted to the car.

It was just Marinette and Adrien left.

She could just run home. It wasn’t far. She could quite literally see it. But it was raining hard now. She would get absolutely soaked. As if on cue, the rain came down heavier and changed direction, now wetting her legs. Great.

He adjusted his school bag on his shoulder. His bodyguard would be here soon. He glanced over at Marinette. Her legs were getting wet. She looked uncomfortable. Adrien reached inside his school bag and took out an umbrella. He put it up then looked at Marinette.

‘You can stand under here if you want.’

Marinette hesitated. She didn’t want to. Well, she did want to. Because she was getting wet. And she wanted to be closer to Adrien. But she shouldn’t want that. She looked away when she felt a blush overtaking her face. She should just do it.

Quickly, so she wouldn’t change her mind, she darted under the umbrella, their chests almost touching. It was very small: it would have to be to fit inside Adrien’s school bag. But it sheltered them from the rain.

They stood in silence for a moment and Adrien couldn’t stand it, not when Marinette was so close to him. He had to try. ‘I’m sorry.’

She looked up him, her beautiful bluebell eyes wide. ‘For the gum?’

‘Yes, I… I didn’t do it. Chloé did. I was trying to get it off. I know this is no excuse, but I haven’t actually been to school before. I’m not really sure how to act.’

Marinette stared at him for a moment before she let out a pretty little giggle. ‘You’ve never been to school before?’

‘No. Or left the house much. My father doesn’t like me leaving the house. Your laugh is cute.’

Marinette’s blush darkened, but she was thankful that Adrien wouldn’t be able to see it given how dark the sky had become. ‘I-I-I…T-thank you.’

Adrien smiled. ‘You’re welcome. Do you think… if I haven’t completely messed up my chance, that we could be friends? The only friend I really have is Chloé.’

Marinette’s face saddened for a moment. ‘Chloé’s your only friend?’ What kind of upbringing had Adrien had for him to have only one friend?

The blond nodded and Marinette placed her hands on her hips. ‘Of course, I’ll be your friend. In fact, tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to everyone. I’m sure they’ll want to be friends with you, too.’ She bowed her head then. ‘I should apologise as well. For the way I spoke to you.’

‘Don’t worry about it. I would have spoken that way to me, too.’

They shared a smile and a horn beeped from the pavement, and they both turned to see another car, one that Adrien recognised. ‘That’s my bodyguard. Can we give you a lift home?’

‘No, it’s okay. I only live over there,’ she said, pointing to the bakery across from the school. ‘I just wanted to wait until the rain slackened off a bit so I wouldn’t get drenched.’

‘Here, let me walk you home.’

‘No, it’s okay, you don’t to.’

‘I insist. It’s the least I can do for how I treated you today.’ Adrien held out his arm, and after a moment of consideration, Marinette hooked her arm through his.

They walked down the school steps together, then across the road to the bakery, all the while, Marinette’s heart was beating like crazy. She had never felt like this before. And Adrien wasn’t feeling all that dissimilar. There was a funny sensation in his stomach, a mixture of butterflies and something else. It made him feel a little sick, but at the same time, he didn’t want it to stop.

‘Thank you,’ Marinette said as they approached the bakery door. ‘Would you like to come in for cake and a drink?’

‘Oh, I’d love to,’ he said, managing not to tag on the end how much he’d love to spend time with her, too. ‘But I have to go. My father can be quite strict, and I have my Chinese class and then my piano class in an hour.’

‘Wow, okay, then let me get you a cake to take with you.’

She darted into the shop before he could say otherwise, and she came back a moment later with a cupcake topped with swirly light pink icing and white sprinkles. ‘Here. It’s called a Mari cupcake. My dad introduced them to the menu when I was a little girl. Pink’s my favourite colour. I used to wear it a lot.’

Adrien took the cupcake from her. ‘Thank you. And you should wear it again. It would suit you.’

She blushed, and Adrien could see it this time, thanks to the bright lights of the bakery. ‘I-I’ll see you in the morning, Adrien.’

‘Bye, Marinette.’

She went back into the bakery and Adrien waltzed back over to the car, protecting the tiny cupcake from the rain. He took care not to jostle it as he got in the car, and he ate it as they drove back. He wasn’t allowed sweets unless it was his birthday or Christmas, and it would be confiscated as soon as Nathalie saw it, so he had to be quick. But he didn’t want to be. He wanted to savour it since it had been a gift from Marinette. And because it had been named after her. But even though he ate fast, he still managed to identify all the flavours. The cupcake was chocolate, and very sweet, but the icing, although pink, was orange flavoured with popping candy hidden inside it, giving it a punch. It was like Marinette. Sweet and kind, but unique in every other way. No wonder all the boys at school liked her. Including him.

He popped the last bite into his mouth and leant back against the car seat. He liked Marinette. He really did. And now that he had a chance with her, he wasn’t going to ruin it. He wouldn’t try to get her akumatised. He would protect her, at any means necessary, even if that angered his father. Right now, Marinette seemed to be the only good thing in his life, and he would keep this one good thing for himself.

The car came to a stop and Adrien dashed inside, not bothering with the umbrella, and stood in the entrance hall was Nathalie, along with, surprisingly, his father.

‘Oh, hello, father.’

‘Adrien,’ he said, his voice clipped. ‘You worked with Ladybug.’

Adrien bowed his head. ‘Yes, I… I thought, for now, it may be for the best that I try to befriend her. If she believes your akumas are trying to take her earrings, then she won’t suspect me, and I can get her to trust me. I know this way, it might take a bit longer to get mum back, but I think it could work.’

His father hummed. ‘I understand. In that case, you did a good job.’

Adrien couldn’t help but smile.

‘However.’

The smile left his face.

‘You need to do better to akumatise people. The boy who I akumatised this morning wasn’t because of you.’

‘It wasn’t. I’m sorry, father.’

‘Go and do your homework. I’m sure you’ve got plenty to do.’

Adrien nodded and went to his room in silence, but as soon it shut, Plagg flew out from where he’d been hiding in his bag.

‘I knew there was a reason why I hadn’t been told I’d been getting a new wearer,’ the kwami said, looking betrayed.

‘Look, I’m sorry, but I had to do it. This is to get my mum back.’

‘Back? Where is she, kid?’

‘She’s dead.’ Adrien looked down at the floor and Plagg zoomed into his field of vision.

‘I’m sorry, kid, but you can’t use the miraculouses for this. It’s too dangerous. And my sugar cube would kill me.’

‘Your sugar cube?’

‘Tikki. She’s Ladybug’s kwami.’

Adrien nodded. ‘I know it’s probably dangerous, but I have to try.’

Plagg sighed. People had tried to combine the black and cat and ladybird miraculous in the past. They always thought they were right. There was clearly no point in telling Adrien the consequences of it. But maybe he could be gradually changed over time. It seemed his father, who was more than likely Hawk Moth, was behind all of this, and he’d manipulated Adrien to his way of thinking. ‘Okay. I understand.’

The blond gave him a huge smile. ‘Thank you. Okay, before homework, let’s go on the Ladyblog. We need to observe Ladybug’s every move if we’re going to defeat her.’

Plagg just nodded, following his wearer over to his computer. Adrien couldn’t combine the miraculouses. It would rip his whole life apart and ruin him if he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)
> 
> M = Monsieur (Mr)  
Mme = Madame (Mrs)  
Mlle = Madamoiselle (Miss) :D
> 
> Okay, so it might be a bit clearer as to why I said you might enjoy this fic more if you haven't seen series one or series two for a while, since some bits will be quite similar (mainly the akuma attacks) and some will be different (Adrien and Marinette's relationship), so you can probably gauge from this chapter whether this fic is for you since I'm pretty sure this won't be everyone cup of tea.
> 
> Also, this took so long to write. It's 17 pages long on a word document, and I think most chapters will be quite similar in length since all but two chapters in my plan feature an akuma attack, and they're pretty lengthy to write out and describe all the fighting in prose format, so I just wanted to let you know that updates may take longer for this fic than usual (you'll know if you read my other fics that I do like to update fairly regularly). Hope this is okay!
> 
> Lilac x


	3. Animan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien attempts to sabotage Nino.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for abuse at the end of the chapter.

**Wednesday 11th September 2019**

Marinette tried not to make her staring too obvious, but she found it hard to stop herself. Ever since she’d met Adrien last week, she couldn’t help but be captivated by him. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about their chat under the umbrella. He had seemed so different from her interaction with him in the classroom that day. He was kind and friendly but came across as quietly confident. Not to mention her heart had been beating a mile a minute because of how close together they’d been stood.

The day after, as promised, Marinette introduced Adrien to everyone in the class, and as they worked their way around, Adrien stood progressively closer to her, and as they walked back to their seats, he had leant towards her and whispered, ‘told you that you looked good in pink.’

She let out a squeak and looked away from Adrien as she blushed, Yes, she had even worn pink. She’d worn it today, too. A bubble gum pink skater skirt along with a long-sleeved black shirt and low black heels. She looked cute, she knew she did, and Adrien had complimented her outfit when she’d come into the classroom this morning.

Alya rolled her eyes. School had ended five minutes ago, and they’d been stood on the school steps for four. ‘Girl, it’s so obvious.’

Marinette snapped out of her daze and forced herself to look at Alya. ‘W-what’s obvious?’

‘That you like Adrien! Go and tell him you think he’s cute.’

Marinette squeaked and held her sketchpad tight to her chest. ‘I can’t do that!’

‘Why not?’

‘It’s not like he would return my feelings…’

‘I don’t think you have that to worry about.’

_Alya was right, _Adrien thought with a smile. He knew the two girls were trying to be discreet, and he _was_ stood at the bottom of the steps with Nino, in comparison to them at the top of the steps. But Adrien had become attuned to listening for Marinette’s voice, and he could hear her loud and clear from here. He would return her feelings. There was no doubt about it.

‘And I- Adrien, dude, did you hear what I just said?’

Adrien jumped slightly and turned to face Nino with a smile. ‘Sorry, my mind just wandered for a second. What did you say?’

‘I said I like Marinette.’

Adrien forced the smile to stay on his face. He’d been expecting this: Kim and Max had already told him. But he still couldn’t help but feel jealous. Marinette was _his_. No one else’s.

‘What do you think I should do?’

Adrien’s fake smile widened. ‘Ask her out!’

‘Are you joking?!’ Nino exclaimed. ‘Dude, I know you’re new here, but that’s not how things work with Marinette. She rejects _everyone_.’

The blond just shrugged. That was the plan. Nino confesses, Marinette rejects him, leaving Marinette all for him. ‘Okay, so ask her to the zoo as if we’re all going, but when we get there, I leave, and you can be alone with Marinette. I’ sure she’ll see what a great guy you are once you’re alone together.’

‘Dude, I can’t talk to her! I get shy just thinking about her.’

Adrien tried not to let his smile slip into a grimace. He couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else thinking about Marinette. ‘It’ll be fine. Plug your ear buds into your phone and put one bud in your ear. I’ll call you and tell you exactly what to say. I’ll guide you through the whole thing.’

Before Nino could have the chance to say no, Adrien turned around and called for Marinette.

‘Go on, girl!’ Alya said, shoving Marinette down the stone steps.

With a squeak, she tripped and clenched her eyes shut as she prepared herself for the fall, but instead of the concrete against her face, she felt large hands around her waist. She opened her eyes and she instantly blushed when she saw it was Adrien who had caught her.

‘Are you alright? You’re not hurt, are you?’ he asked with a gentle squeeze to her waist. She was so small in comparison to him. It was cute. Not to mention she’d worn pink again for him.

‘I-I’m fine.’

He reluctantly let go of her then, and she scrambled to pick up her sketch pad, which he hadn’t even noticed she’d dropped. It had fallen open, though, and on the page facing upwards was a sketch of him. It was really good. And he was very flattered: she must have drawn it from memory since she’d never drawn in front of him.

‘What did you need, Adrien?’ she asked with a blush, Alya now stood next to her.

‘We were wondering if you two wanted to go to the zoo with us? I don’t have my fencing lesson for an hour or so.’

‘Yes! I’ll go with you! Erm… I mean… Alya and I will go with the two of you.’ Marinette let out a nervous laugh. Why couldn’t she speak to Adrien like she was a normal human being?

‘Let’s get going then!’ Alya grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the metro. ‘This is going to be an awesome opportunity for you and Adrien to be alone,’ she whispered.

Marinette’s blush darkened. ‘As much as I want to, I’m a mess when I’m alone with him.’

‘You just need to get used to being in his company. You can manage it sometimes. When you told me about the two of you under the umbrella, it didn’t seem like you stuttered much then.’

‘I just don’t understand. I’m not like this around other boys.’

Alya laughed. ‘That’s because he’s not other boys. He’s the boy you like. Come on. I’ll help you.’

They boarded the train, Adrien and Nino getting on after them along with Kim.

‘Hey! Where are you all off to?’ he asked. He stayed stood up with Adrien and Nino by the doors, but Marinette and Alya sat down, whispering to each other.

‘The zoo.’

‘Me, too! I have a score to settle with a panther and Alya’s dad.’

Adrien narrowed his eyes. ‘I feel like that won’t go well.’

Kim laughed. ‘It’ll be fine. How come the four of you are going?’

‘Nino’s going to ask out Marinette,’ Adrien whispered.

Kim took in a breath through his teeth. ‘May the luck of every single god be with you, Nino.’

‘Thanks, man.’

‘I’m going along to give him advice,’ Adrien said.

Kim nodded. ‘That’s sound. She seems to like you, Adrien. Come to think of it, she talks to you more than any other boy at the school and you’ve only been here a week and a half.’

Adrien laughed awkwardly. ‘Really? I don’t think that’s true…’

The metro came to a stop and the five of them got off and headed for the zoo. As soon as they bought their tickets, Kim ran off towards the panther enclosure, and the other four ambled around together. Adrien kept an eye on Nino, though, to make sure he wasn’t getting that close to Marinette, and thankfully, his friend was too shy to even look at her. This was probably going to be easier than expected.

When they had moved on from the meerkats and towards the giraffes, Alya took her phone out and read the screen. ‘Oh, I have to go and babysit the twins! My mum just found out she has to go to work.’

Nino smiled at her. ‘That’s cool. See you tomorrow, Alya!’

‘Bye!’ she shouted as she jogged back towards the zoo’s entrance, and Adrien took his own phone out.

He sighed as he stared at the black screen. ‘Actually, it looks like I have to go, too. My fencing lesson got moved up.’

Marinette frowned and walked over to Adrien. ‘Are you sure you can’t stay?’ she asked him, her bluebell eyes wide.

He wanted nothing more than to shove his phone back into his pocket and say yes and tell Nino to leave them alone, but he couldn’t. That would only make the other boy want to pursue her even more. It would have to be like this. But one day, they could come here together on a proper date. ‘I’m sorry, I really can’t. My father can be very… strict. I’ll make it up to you, though. We’ll hang out, just us, yeah?’

Marinette nodded, a smile back on her beautiful face, and Adrien walked off, pausing when he was out of Marinette and Nino’s line of sight. _He’d make it up to her? _Why did he say that? It made it sound like they really were a couple. Either way, she hadn’t noticed. But he’d meant it. He did want to make it up to her. But he didn’t know when he would next have free time. He’d find a way, though.

He cycled back around, coming up behind Marinette and Nino by the giraffe enclosure. They were sat on a bench, half a metre between them, and Nino had one earbud in.

Adrien hid behind a bush then took out his phone and rang Nino, and he picked up straight away, and now he could hear their conversation.

‘So, you erm… I saw your sketchpad before,’ Nino said. ‘That was a really good drawing of Adrien. Did you do it from memory?’

‘Yeah,’ she said and Adrien smiled.

‘What else do you draw?’ Adrien asked, and Nino repeated it.

‘Oh, not usually people. Mainly designs for clothes I want to make.’

Adrien’s smile widened. He was one of the only people Marinette had drawn. He felt honoured. ‘That’s really cool,’ he said, trying to sound more like Nino. ‘So, you’ve probably guessed why we’re here.’

Marinette glanced at Nino. ‘To look at the animals?’

‘No. I want to confess my feelings to you,’ Adrien said: they may as well get on with it.

‘N-no. I-I want to confess my feelings to you.’

Marinette’s eyes widened. ‘Oh! Well… erm… you see, the thing is… Alya likes you!’

Adrien heard a squawk not that far away that sounded mysteriously like Alya.

‘What? Really?’ Nino said without Adrien’s guidance.

Before Marinette could reply, Kim ran past them, looking terrified. ‘Run!’ he shouted, and a moment later, a hoard of zoo animals ran after him.

Nino and Marinette ran off with no hesitation, and to Adrien’s relief, in different directions, and he watched as the animals ran past where he was hidden. If this was an akuma attack, then he could probably feed Ladybug to the animals. That seemed plausible if he didn’t need the earrings. He would have to think of another way.

He turned around and opened his denim shirt pocket. ‘Plagg?’

The kwami flew out with a frown on his face. They’d been slowly getting to know each other, but Plagg still wasn’t feeling too enthusiastic about being stolen. ‘What is it?’

‘Transforming time?’

‘Will there be camembert after?’

‘Of course, there’ll be camembert. You can even have double camembert.’

Plagg brightened up. ‘Okay! Let’s do this, kid!’

‘Claws out!’

After a flash of green, Adrien was Chat Noir, and he took his baton out and climbed up the nearest feeding house in the zoo. He could see Kim, not too far away, and he’d stopped running, and seemed to be talking to a… panther? Had his dad akumatised a panther? Was that even possible?

Ladybug jumped between them and Chat Noir sighed: he should probably make an appearance. He propelled himself into the air with his baton and landed next to Ladybug.

‘Why don’t you pick on someone the same species as you?’ he asked.

The panther growled and launched himself at him, but he darted out of the way just in time, leaving a path straight to Kim. The panther growled again and leapt forward, but Ladybug grabbed Kim, and using her yoyo, swung them both onto the top of the nearest enclosure.

‘Nice going, kitty!’ she shouted down to him and Chat Noir resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

‘Sorry, but I want to keep all nine of my lives!’ _Friends_, he had to be friends with her. For now, anyway.

‘You’ll have none by the time I’m done with you,’ the panther snarled, jumping for Chat Noir again, but he extended his baton and joined Ladybug and Kim on top of the enclosure.

‘How come he can talk? He’s a panther!’

Ladybug narrowed her eyes. ‘What?’

‘Animals can’t talk.’

She groaned. ‘A panther wasn’t akumatised, Chat! It was a person!’

‘It’s Alya’s dad,’ Kim said, looking guilty. ‘I may have wound him up a bit.’

‘It’s okay,’ Ladybug said with a smile. ‘Did you see what object was akumatised?’

‘No. I’m sorry.’

Ladybug and Chat Noir peered over the side of the enclosure, which the panther was pacing around, growling up at them.

‘There,’ Chat Noir said. ‘His bracelet. That’s the only object on him. That has to be it.’

‘It must be. Okay, here’s the plan. We…’ She trailed off as the panther was engulfed in a dark purple, almost black light, and transformed into an eagle. ‘Okay, change of plan! Chat, carry Kim and follow me!’

Using their yoyo and baton, the three of them made their way across Paris, the eagle following them, but once the three of them had erratically jumped off roofs and between alleyways several times, he’d lost them.

‘This way!’ Ladybug called. ‘I know somewhere safe.’

Chat Noir followed her, and a moment later, they had dropped down to the street level and he ran after her and Kim as they entered Marinette’s bakery, but as they stepped through the threshold, he felt a sense of dread overtake him. He hadn’t bothered to see if Marinette had been okay. He’d been so caught up with going after Ladybug, he didn’t even know if she was safe. He’d have to find out later. It would look odd to leave right now. Even if all he wanted to do was run across all of Paris’ rooftops to find her and make sure she hadn’t been hurt. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if she had been.

‘Sir! Ma’am!’ Ladybug said, and Chat Noir snapped out of his daze to see that Ladybug was addressing the two people stood behind the counter, who he presumed were Marinette’s parents judging by their appearance. ‘We need to hide this boy in your house.’

‘Of course!’ Marinette’s mum said, and wrapped an arm around Kim, leading him upstairs.

‘You both look like you could do with a drink,’ Marinette’s dad said. ‘Come on up.’

They both followed him through the bakery and up the stairs in the back.

‘We can’t stay long,’ Ladybug said. ‘Animan will have Kim’s scent. He’ll find us soon.’

‘That’ll be long enough for you to rest.’

They entered the kitchen and living room then, and Kim was already sat down on the settee holding a glass of water.

‘What would you both like?’ Marinette’s dad asked.

‘Water’s fine,’ Chat Noir mumbled as he glanced around the room. It looked like… a home. The Agreste mansion looked nothing like this. Or felt nothing like this. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d even sat in the living room. He usually just stayed in his room. He wandered over to the bookshelf next to another set of stairs, and amongst the books was a photo of Marinette with her parents. All three of them were smiling. They looked so happy. There were only a few photos of the Agreste family altogether and in them, they never smiled. He wanted what Marinette had with her family.

He looked closer at the photo. Marinette was obviously quite a bit younger in this photo than she was now, maybe about thirteen? But that didn’t matter. Her hair… it was in pigtails. Like Ladybug’s.

He glanced at where his partner was stood looking out at the street through one of the windows. She had her back to him, but now that he took notice, her hair was very similar to Marinette’s. Weird.

‘Here’s your drink,’ Marinette’s dad said as he handed him a glass of water.

‘Oh, thank you.’

‘Ah, that’s my daughter, Marinette,’ he said, seeing what Chat had been looking at. ‘She’s a bit older now, but she gets prettier by the day. I’m worried about when she’ll come home with her first boyfriend. A girl as beautiful as her won’t stay single for much longer.’

Chat Noir smiled. ‘I’m sure whoever she picks will be good for her.’

‘I hope so.’

‘Chat Noir,’ Ladybug said, and he looked back over at her. She was facing him now, a light blush on her face. ‘Can you come here?’

He went over, standing beside her at the window. ‘Is everything okay? You’re a bit red.’

‘I’m fine. See that bus?’ she asked, pointing to a deserted one parked haphazardly opposite Dupont. ‘We’re going to lure Animan into it. He probably can’t transform into an animal bigger than that to break free.’

‘Okay, but how?’

‘By using Kim.’

‘Hey!’

Ladybug turned around with a smile. ‘Not you literally. Can I have one of your wristbands?’

He handed it to her. ‘What are you going to do with it?’

‘You’ll see. Just stay up here. Come on, kitty.’

He followed her out of the room and back downstairs, watching as she stretched the wristband and put it on the bannister at the end of the stairs. ‘Perfect.’

‘I hate to break it to you, my lady, but these stairs are nowhere near that bus.’

‘I know. One second.’ She went into the bakery and grabbed a small cake box. ‘He’ll have to transform into something really small to be able to fit through the lock to get to Kim. I’ll catch him in here, then I want you to wait by the front door to the bakery. I’ll throw the box to you, then you need to run to the bus and put the box inside through one of the small open windows. Got it?’

‘Got it.’

He went over to the bakery’s front door, watching Ladybug as she opened the box ready. She was really clever for thinking up something like that. He’d have to get better if he was going to be able to outsmart her enough to take her earrings.

A minute later, the black light oozed through the lock and a ladybird flew into the hallway. Ladybug trapped it in the box, then she threw it to Chat Noir. He caught it, then ripped the door to the bakery open and sprinted to the bus.

As he ran, the box started to change colour as Animan transformed, so he threw it at one of the bus’ window, and thankfully, it went inside, and a moment later, a panther was sat in the bus.

Animan growled and pounced at him, but the window stopped him from getting out and Chat Noir smirked. ‘Too bad.’

‘Don’t tease him, Chat,’ Ladybug said, coming to stand beside him.

‘Sorry, I couldn’t help it. What now, though?’ he asked, watching Animan pace up and down the length of the bus.

‘I’m not sure… Lucky Charm!’ she shouted, and in her arms landed a car jack. ‘What am I supposed to do with this?’

‘Change the bus’ tyre?’ he suggested, then looked back at the bus. There didn’t seem to be an obvious use for it…

Animan pounced at the windows again, then he backed away, engulfing himself in the black light. But it grew bigger and bigger, and Chat Noir grabbed Ladybug’s arm.

‘Erm… my lady…’

She gasped and they slowly backed away just as the bus broke apart. Before them stood Animan, except this time, he was a tyrannosaurus.

‘Pretty sure that’s cheating…’ Chat Noir said, his eyes wide as he stared at the dinosaur.

‘We don’t have any time to question it. But at least I know what to use this for now. Cover me!’

‘Huh?’

Ladybug ran forwards, car jack in hand, and jumped up, right into the tyrannosaurus’s waiting mouth.

Chat Noir stood still, completely stunned. She’d just… this girl was crazy.

She turned around then and smiled at him, sat on the dinosaur’s tongue, and he bit back a gasp. Her smile, her hair… she looked like Marinette.

Then the dinosaur closed his mouth, engulfing her completely.

Chat Noir couldn’t help but fall to his knees then. His heart had felt like it had stopped. How… how…

Animan’s eyes widened then, and he reopened his mouth, revealing Ladybug opening the car jack inside his mouth, disabling him momentarily.

‘Chat Noir! His bracelet!’

‘Right!’ he shouted, snapping out of his astonishment. ‘Cataclysm!’ He dove for Animan’s legs and closed his hand around the bracelet, letting the trinket fall to black rubble through his fingertips.

He watched, mind hazy, as Ladybug cleansed the akuma then threw the lucky charm into the air, restoring Paris back to normal. Then she turned to him with a smile. ‘Pound it?’ she asked, but he shook his head and hugged her instead.

He knew she wasn’t Marinette. But in that moment… she had looked so much like her. He wouldn’t have been able to handle it if he’d lost her. He knew that he’d only known her for a week, but she already meant so much to him. She truly was the only good thing in his life.

‘Chat?’ Ladybug whispered. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Y-Yeah. I was just worried. Are you alright?’

‘I’m fine. I knew what I was doing.’

He pulled out of the hug. ‘I’m glad. Erm… I’ll get the akuma victim home.’

‘Okay. I’ll see you next time.’ She smiled at him, then swung away using her yoyo.

Chat Noir took a deep breath in before approaching Alya’s dad. He truly had been so worried in that moment. But he knew his father would have something to say about it when he got home.

…

Marinette groaned as she dawdled down the stairs at home. Today’s akuma attack had been something else. And Chat’s reaction had been odd: they barely knew each other. And to top it all off, Alya had asked to meet her outside the bakery. This wasn’t going to be good. Alya had helped her out by coming to the zoo to tell her what to say to Adrien. Or rather, Nino. But either way, she’d come in good faith and Marinette had lied about her. She was a bad friend.

She left the bakery through the side door, and almost bumped into Alya, who was stood with… Nino?

‘Erm… hi!’ she said, glancing between the two of them.

Alya laughed. ‘You don’t need to look so nervous!’

‘I feel like I should! I lied about you.’

Alya laughed again. ‘Don’t sweat it, girl! Nino and I bumped into each other running away from my dad, and we hid together. Turns out, I actually do like him.’

‘And I like her, too,’ Nino admitted with a blush.

‘What?! Really?’

‘Yes! So, we’re dating. Don’t feel bad. It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t said what you did, even if it was a lie,’ Alya said with a shrug.

‘So, how about we help you?’ Nino suggested.

‘With what?’

‘Adrien!’

Marinette looked at the ground. ‘I don’t have feelings for him…’ she said, even though she could already feel her heart beat speeding up at the mere mention of his name. But what was the use in admitting that she felt something for him? He was handsome, rich, and popular. She was none of those things. Adrien was so out of her league that it was ridiculous. There was no way he’d return her feelings. It was best to just forget how she felt for him. Even if he was the only boy she’d ever liked.

…

Gabriel paced around his son in his lair and Adrien tried not to feel nervous, but it was useless. He had known that this was coming. He shouldn’t have hugged Ladybug, no matter how much resemblance she bared to Marinette in that moment.

‘Why did you hug her?’ his father asked.

‘She… I had to pretend to be worried about. She’d just been eaten by a dinosaur. I thought a hug was an appropriate response. I need her to trust me.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ Gabriel whispered, coming up behind him then, breathing against the shell of his ear and Adrien tried not to cower away from him. His father had used to tower over him, and even though Adrien was taller than him now, even if only by about an inch, his father still managed to intimidate him.

‘I hate her. Why would I hug her for any other reason?’

He listened to his father’s footsteps as he walked away. ‘Just to make sure then…’ His father pressed a button on the wall, revealing a row of what his father called torture instruments. They were intended to be used if he ever caught a miraculous holder, or even better, the guardian of the miraculouses. But now was the time he had decided to use them. There was no point in arguing. It would only make his punishment worse.

His father came back to him then. ‘Make a noise, and I’ll hurt you more.’

Adrien didn’t bother nodding or agreeing, he just stood there, and a moment later, some sort of riding crop or whip came down across the top of his back. He jolted forwards slightly, but otherwise had no reaction apart from the tears pricking in his eyes. It hurt. A lot. But his father hadn’t made him take his shirt off. It would have made it hurt more if he had done.

After twenty hits to his back, though, Adrien was crying silently, his lips rolled together to keep in his cries of pain. He could feel something wet on his back. He’d started to bleed, hadn’t he?

The riding crop dropped to the floor then and he listened as his father walked to where the concealed entrance in the floor was. ‘Anyone would think you didn’t want to see your mother again, Adrien. I’m ashamed of you.’

He wanted to retort back, shout and tell his father that it would be his father who his mother would be ashamed of for hurting their son like this, not him, but he held his tongue. It would only make things worse. And his father was right: he had to try harder if he wanted to see his mother again.

There was whooshing noise, signifying that his father had left his lair, and Adrien fell forwards, onto his hands and knees, panting from the pain and his tears.

‘Adrien…’ Plagg said as he flew out of his pocket. ‘How could your dad do this to you?’

The blond boy smiled at his kwami through his tears. ‘We just want my mum back. Don’t worry about me.’ He started to unbutton the soft denim shirt he’d worn that day and let it slip from his shoulders. ‘How bad is it?’

Plagg flew out of his line of vision. ‘Bad. There’s blood. A lot of it. Kid, you can’t let your dad do this to you. It’s not right.’

‘He is right, though.’

With a hiss, Adrien grabbed his shirt and stood up, leaving the lair and walked to his bedroom, his father thankfully nowhere in sight.

‘Shall I get you some ice from the kitchen?’ Plagg asked, flying beside Adrien’s ear.

‘No. I don’t think that’ll help.’

‘Camembert then?’

Adrien managed another smile and wiped away his tears. ‘That’ll help less, but thank you for offering.’

They entered his bedroom then, and to his surprise, Nathalie was stood by his bed with the first aid kit.

‘Your father asked me to tend to your wounds.’

Adrien chuckled. ‘That’s surprising.’

She frowned. ‘He does care for you, you know.’

‘He has a funny way of showing it…’ Plagg mumbled.

‘Here, lie on the bed.’

Adrien dropped his shirt to the floor and led down, his head buried in his arms as Nathalie cleaned the blood from his back. It hurt, but he tried not to think about the pain. Instead, he thought about Marinette. He’d been so stupid today. He should have just told Nino to back off the moment he’d told him that he had feelings for Marinette. And he should have looked for her as soon as Animan attacked. And he didn’t even have time to check if she was okay after the akuma attack was over. He guessed that he would find out tomorrow morning out school, but he hoped she was alright. She had to be. He had to protect her at all costs, no matter the cost to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


	4. Stormy Weather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette manage to spend more time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so the outfit Mari is wearing and the flower crown idea is taken from Pinterest but idk who the artist is? Is it the person who posted it? How do you even post on there? HOW DO I GIVE CREDIT TO THEM?!?!?!
> 
> Also, there are like two lines of Adrien's thoughts in this chapter that are slightly NSFW.

**Saturday 28th September 2019**

‘This way, Adrien!’

He faced the photographer and smiled, holding his pose sat on the edge of the fountain, but his eyes slid away from the camera lens.

Sat by the merry-go-round were Alya and Marinette, the two girls smiling and laughing together as they made flower crowns from the wildflowers that grew in the park. He didn’t have a clue how to make one, but he wanted to go over to them. Or rather, just to Marinette. Ever since the incident at the zoo, they’d yet to spend any time alone together apart from a few stolen moments at school. He had loved those moments together, but he wanted something more, even if it was just spending an extra ten minutes together. He had fallen for her. _Hard. _When he wasn’t being Chat Noir, she was all that he thought about.

‘Adrien!’

He jerked up, realising that he turned his whole body to face Marinette. ‘Sorry,’ he said as repositioned himself.

The photographer smirked at him. ‘Girlfriend?’

‘_No_,’ Adrien said with a blush. He hadn’t denied it because he didn’t want her to be. But this photographer knew his father, and if his father found out that he had feelings for someone, then he would use it against him. He couldn’t find out about Marinette.

She looked over at him then and waved, and he waved back, and she laughed, but he couldn’t hear it from here. God, he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day with her and make her smile.

‘She’s just a friend,’ he told the photographer.

‘Sure she is. Let’s carry on.’

Adrien sat on the edge of the fountain now, one of his knees propped up, smiling for more photos, but once again, his eyes slid across to Marinette. He was all in black for this photo shoot, but she was wearing black jeans, a white strappy top, and a silky blue kimono that slid down her shoulders every few moments. Her hair was in a bun, too, showing off her slender neck. How would she look with her hair like that and wearing just that kimono? Adrien bit his lip as he imagined it. She always looked beautiful, but she would look ethereal like that.

‘Yes, keep biting your lip, Adrien!’

The model jumped slightly, not realising what he’d done, but held the pose anyway, sliding his eyes back to the camera. Now wasn’t the time to be imagining Marinette wearing very little clothing, or picturing how she might look led in the centre of his large bed, or… _stop. _This wasn’t the time. He still had to finish this photo shoot, and tonight he was supposed to be meeting the girl who had won the weather presenter competition. Why anyone would want to be a weather presenter was beyond him, and why he had to meet her was just weird. He’d rather spend that time with Marinette.

He managed to glance at his watch. The winner had been announced at three, and now it was quarter past. It had already been decided who he would be spending an evening with instead of Marinette.

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning and Adrien looked up. It wasn’t supposed to rain…

His eyes widened when he saw a girl his age flying towards the park. Her hair was in pigtails that sparked electricity, and he watched as she pointed the umbrella she was holding at the merry-go-round. A bolt of wind and ice shot out of the end of the umbrella, and everyone by it started to dash away, but it was too late. The entire merry-go-round, and the surrounding area, was encased in ice, and Adrien’s first instinct was to run over to it. His heart was in his throat. It had all happened so quickly. He couldn’t tell if Marinette had managed to run away and save herself, or if she had been trapped. It would be more likely that she’d been trapped in the ice dome that had formed, and he couldn’t do anything in this form.

He ran for the nearest tree and hid behind it, whilst everyone else ran from the park, and once the girl – presumably whichever one it was that had lost the weather presenter competition – had flown away with a cackle, Adrien put his hand into his pants pocket, but found no kwami inside. He sighed: Plagg must have phased out of there during the photo shoot once he’d got bored.

Out of his other pocket, he took out a piece of camembert, and immediately, Plagg came out of one of the photographer’s boxes that held the extra lenses and lights.

‘I didn’t think you were supposed to leave your wearer in case of an emergency,’ Adrien said with a smirk as Plagg practically inhaled the cheese.

‘You’re right, but that photo shoot was exceptionally boring. Why can’t you have more interesting hobbies?’

‘Are Chinese, fencing, and piano not interesting enough for you?’

Plagg hummed. ‘Piano’s okay. I can play a bit.’

Adrien smiled. ‘Then we can play together when we get home. But right now, I need to transform. My friend is in danger. I think she’s stuck in the merry-go-round.’

Plagg glanced over at it. ‘Oh, god, kid. That is a mess. But this friend…’ The kwami smirked. ‘Is it Marinette?’

Adrien nodded, unable to help the blush on his face.

‘Then let’s save your princess!’

The blond boy smiled: that nickname suited her. ‘Plagg, claws out!’

He transformed, hidden behind the tree, then he sprinted over to the merry-go-round. It was completely encased in ice, no holes at either the top or bottom, and the ice was so thick that he couldn’t see through it to see who was trapped within. It was clear at the top, though, and Chat Noir could see the icicles that were beginning to form. If he didn’t get Ladybug to cleanse Paris soon, then Marinette could get seriously hurt. And he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if that happened.

He paced back and forth for a few moments. Ladybug wasn’t here yet, and he didn’t want to rely on her, especially since it would just get him into trouble with his father, but also because Marinette could be hurt if he waited much longer. He would have to handle this alone.

‘Cata-’

‘Stop!’

He looked up, and sat atop the ice dome was Ladybug. ‘What are you doing?! You can’t use your power yet!’

‘I have to! My friend is trapped in here. Look at the icicles. She’s going to get hurt.’

Ladybug’s facial expression softened. ‘I’m sorry. But we’ll get her out of here, don’t worry. Just save your power for later, yeah?’

‘Okay. Let’s hurry. She went that way,’ Chat Noir said, pointing towards the televisions studio, and they took off over the Parisian skyline together.

The battle and defeat of Stormy Weather was a complete blur. All Chat Noir could think about was Marinette. With every second they battled, the more danger his princess would be in. He went faster, fought harder, and as soon as his fist met Ladybug’s in a quick “pound it”, he sprinted back to the park, having just enough sense to detransform in an alley before he continued on.

Marinette was stood by the merry-go-round, not a scratch on her, and her and Alya were chatting.

Adrien broke into a run again, heading straight for her. ‘Marinette!’ he shouted, and she turned to look at him, and a moment later, he was holding her in his arms, squeezing her tight.

‘I was so worried about you,’ he whispered, cradling the back of her head with his hand. She was so small, tucked against his chest under his chin with still an inch clearance. She was so precious to him. He couldn’t let anything bad happen to her. It would ruin him if she got hurt. ‘Are you okay?’ he asked.

‘I’m fine,’ she said after a moment, the words pressed against his throat. ‘What about you?’

‘I was okay. Just worried about you.’

They pulled apart then, greeted by a grinning Alya. ‘I was fine as well, thanks for asking.’

Adrien laughed and scratched the back of his neck. ‘Sorry.’ He probably shouldn’t have done what he just did in public.

‘It’s alright. I’ve got to get going,’ Alya said with a wink before jogging off.

‘She left her flower crown,’ Adrien said, glancing at the ground. He spotted where Marinette and Alya had been sat earlier, along with their flower crowns, but they had been ruined by the ice.

‘It’s okay. We can always make more.’

‘Can I make one with you?’

Marinette’s pretty bluebell eyes widened. ‘Of course! Don’t you have your photo shoot, though?’

‘I’m pretty sure we had finished. Come on. You’ll have to teach me what to do, though.’

She smiled and they sat down on the grass opposite each other, and Marinette picked a few wildflowers that were growing beside them. ‘Here.’ She handed him one, which he held between his thumb and forefinger, and he watched as she twisted another flower around it, gradually adding more as she went.

Adrien watched her in silence, just enjoying the feeling of their hands touching. She was warm despite the ice she had been trapped in, and her fingers were small but slender. They would fit perfectly between his much larger ones.

‘You make me nervous when you watch me like this,’ she said.

The blond boy smiled. ‘Sorry. I can’t help it. You fascinate me.’

She blushed. ‘How?’

‘You just do. You’re not like anyone I’ve ever met before. You’re so kind and sweet and caring, but you’re not afraid to stand up for yourself.’

‘You mean like I did to you on the first day?’ she asked, briefly glancing up at him as she continued to tie the wildflowers together.

‘Exactly. You’re something very different.’

She smiled. ‘I don’t feel like I am. I’m just normal. Even my favourite film is pretty generic.’

‘What is it?’

‘_The Princess Bride_.’

‘I’ve never seen it.’

She looked up at him then, stopping what she was doing. ‘What?! How come?’

‘My father isn’t the most accommodating person.’

‘What about your mum?’

‘She’s dead.’

Marinette gasped. She was an idiot. _Of course she knew Adrien’s mum was dead. _Gabriel Agreste hadn’t been seen outside since that day almost five years ago. ‘Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think.’

Adrien shook his head. ‘It’s okay. It was a long time ago now.’

‘Do you think… your father would ever let you come over to mine so we could watch some films together?’

Adrien’s whole face lit up at the prospect of that. He would love to spend the afternoon – no, the entire day – at Marinette’s, watching films, just the two of them. But the answer from his father would probably be no. But he didn’t want to let Marinette down. ‘Maybe. I’d have to see.’

She nodded, continuing with the flowers. ‘That would definitely make up for you having to leave when we were at the zoo.’

‘Is now not enough for you, Miss Dupain-Cheng?’ he asked with a wink.

She blushed and dropped the flowers she was holding. ‘Y-yes…’

He smiled and stayed quiet, watching as she finished the crown.

‘There.’ She placed it atop his head. ‘Did you want to try?’

‘I don’t think I’d be very good at it. My fingers can’t move quick enough.’

She giggled and Adrien’s heart pounded at the sweet sound.

‘You play the piano, don’t you?’

‘Yes, but that’s very different to making a flower crown. Here. Turn around.’

Marinette did so without any hesitation and Adrien shuffled forwards. He was sat cross-legged on the grass, but he was close enough to Marinette that she was practically sat in his lap. _I wish she were._

He ignored that thought and plucked several flowers and stuck them in her bun, arranging them so it looked like a mini crown. It was fitting if she was his princess. Not that he’d say that nickname to her face. ‘Done,’ he said and took a picture of it with his phone then handed it to her.

She gasped and turned to him with a big grin. ‘I love it. Thank you. Do you want to come back to mine for cake? Did you like the cupcake I gave you?’

‘Which one?’ he asked. Marinette brought cake and pastries into school a couple of times a week, and he’d sampled each and every one. If he wasn’t being Chat Noir, then he definitely would have lost his model figure by now.

She laughed. ‘Come on.’ She grabbed his hand and they both stood up, making their way across the park and to the bakery.

Adrien smiled down at their joined hands. This is how he wanted to experience his one and only year at school: as Marinette’s boyfriend. God, he hoped she really did like him if her many conversations with Alya and Marinette’s blushes and stuttering were anything to go by.

Marinette reluctantly let go of his hand as they entered the bakery. What on earth had possessed her to take it in the first place? That fight with Stormy Weather had probably given her brain freeze. She wasn’t thinking straight. She’d made a flower crown with _Adrien_, invited him round to watch films with her, then held his hand. She needed to go to the doctors or something.

Her parents looked up from where they were cleaning out the cake cases and smiled at her. It was almost five, and most of the cake had already been sold, but a few remained.

‘Marinette,’ he father said. ‘Who’s your friend?’

‘This is Adrien Agreste from school. He’s new this year.’

‘Ah, yes, you mentioned him,’ her mum said. ‘Quite a bit.’

‘Mum!’

‘It’s nice to meet you, sir, ma’am,’ Adrien said.

The two adults laughed. ‘Don’t be so formal,’ her mum said. ‘Tom and Sabine is just fine. Sit down, we’ll bring you some cake and a drink over. Is there anything you’d like to try, Adrien?’

‘I think I’ve had everything on the menu by now.’

Tom and Sabine both laughed and Marinette led him over to one of the very few table and chairs in the café.

‘Sorry, they’re kind of embarrassing,’ she whispered, but Adrien shook his head.

‘Don’t apologise. I like them,’ he said. He wished his own father was just a little like Marinette’s parents.

Sabine came over then with two hot chocolates and two Mari cupcakes. ‘Have you tried these?’ Marinette’s mum asked as she set them down on the table.

‘Yes. They’re my favourite. Marinette gave me one on the first day of school.’

Sabine smiled warmly at him. ‘Ah, after your chat under the umbrella?’

‘Mum!’ Marinette hissed with a blush on her cheeks.

‘Alright, I’m going.’ Sabine went back over to the cake counter and Adrien eagerly pulled away the cake wrapper and started to eat the cupcake. He hadn’t had one of these since that first day at school and he’d been craving it since.

‘You like it that much?’ Marinette asked, her cupcake untouched.

‘Yeah. They remind me of you.’

‘Because of the name?’

Adrien shook his head. ‘Because of the taste. It’s like your personality.’

She smiled. ‘Thank you. You know, you don’t have to wait for me to bring them into school. You can come by anytime for some.’

‘I know, and I want to, believe me, but my father… and my bodyguard-’ Adrien jumped as his phone vibrated in his pocket and he took it out with a sigh. ‘And they want to know where I am. I’m sorry. I’ll have to go soon.’

He watched sadly as Marinette’s pretty lips turned into a slight frown. ‘It’s okay,’ she said. ‘I understand. But ask him about the movie day? So it can be arranged around your busy schedule. Or anytime you’re free actually. We don’t have to watch films. We can do something else.’

Adrien nodded with a smile. He wanted to spend all of his free time with Marinette. He popped the last bite of the Mari cupcake into his mouth and downed half of the hot chocolate. ‘I’ll see you on Monday?’

‘Yeah. I’ll walk you to the door.’

They both stood up and went to the bakery’s front door.

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ Adrien asked. ‘I was really worried about you.’

‘I was fine. You don’t need to worry about me.’

‘I know, I just… can I give you another hug? I didn’t ask you before, so I’m sorry about that, but can I give you another one? I really was worried about you.’

Marinette gave him a heart-warming smile. ‘It’s alright, you don’t need to ask.’ She stepped closer to him and slipped her arms around his shoulders, and Adrien held her tightly around the waist, his nose buried in her hair. She smelt like chocolate and cake. It was so sweet and intoxicating. He wasn’t allowed sugary food, and he probably wasn’t allowed to date Marinette either. But he didn’t care. He would do anything for her.

‘Did that make up for the zoo?’ Adrien asked against her hair.

Marinette giggled against his throat. ‘Definitely.’

Adrien tried not to groan at how that felt and reluctantly pulled away from her. ‘I’ll see you at school, princess.’ His eyes widened, only just realising what he said. ‘I mean… Erm…’

Marinette’s face went bright red, but her smile stretched from ear to ear. ‘Bye, Adrien,’ she said with a giggle, and he left the bakery, pausing for a moment outside.

He was an idiot. How could he have let himself slip up like that? Marinette, as brave and confident as she could be, was also quite clearly painfully shy sometimes. Calling her that when they weren’t even in a relationship would be too much. But she had seemed to have liked it. It wasn’t a complete disaster.

‘Nice going, kid,’ Plagg said, peeking out from his pocket.

‘Oh, shut up. I think she liked it. But I don’t think I’ll call it her in public again. Come on, let’s go home.’

Plagg stuffed himself back inside Adrien’s pants pocket and the blond model walked home with a smile on his face. Okay, that had been a _bit_ embarrassing, but Marinette _had_ seemed to have liked it. And she was stuttering around him less. And she wanted to spend more time with him. He just only hoped it would be possible.

He sauntered through the gates to the Agreste Mansion, then through the front door, and as expected, his father was waiting for him in the dark foyer.

‘Good afternoon, father.’

‘What on earth are you wearing on your head?’

Adrien paused for a moment as he processed what his dad had said, then he smiled when he remembered. ‘It’s a flower crown. One of the children at the park saw me modelling and made it for me,’ he said, lying easily.

His father rolled his eyes. ‘Why did you rush?’

‘Rush?’ Adrien questioned.

‘The fight with Stormy Weather. You rushed. Why? The aim is to get Ladybug’s earrings, not spend so little time with her that it becomes almost impossible.’

‘Oh, I was… one of my friends was at the park and he got encased in ice. I was worried he would get hurt.’ Another lie.

‘And what’s this friend’s name?’

‘Nino. I sit next to him in class.’ Adrien couldn’t let his father know about Marinette.

Gabriel rolled his eyes and turned away from Adrien, walking towards the dining room. ‘Friends make you weak. You’re at school to akumatise people, not to be nice.’

‘Yes, father.’

Adrien watched as his dad walked away from him. There was no point in asking him about going over to Marinette’s for the day. There was no chance in hell that it would be allowed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have literally just had one of the worst weeks of my life, heightened only by watching Loveeater just now, and it would mean the world if you could leave a comment for me, even if it's something small. This week has been so hard. I can't really give away any more information than that, but Marinette at the end of Loveeater is how I feel rn.  
Thank you :*
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


	5. Mr Pigeon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette designs a derby hat.

**Friday 11th October 2019**

Adrien leant against the railings outside his classroom, looking down at all of the students. He still didn’t know the names and faces of the majority of people here, but he knew everyone in his class. He could spot most of them, but… where was Marinette? He smiled as he thought about her. She was usually late, and it was twenty minutes until classes started for the day. It was likely she wasn’t here yet.

But maybe Marinette would show up on time. Today was pretty important: his father was hosting a competition at the school. Adrien didn’t know all the details but he knew it was something to do with fashion, and the winning piece would be worn by him at his next big show. He was excited, but he couldn’t help the feeling of dread that rose up in him at the same time. He knew one of the losers of the competition would probably get akumatised. That’s why his father had probably arranged it: because his son couldn’t pretend to be mean enough to get anyone akumatised.

And as much as Adrien enjoyed finally being let out of the house, he wasn’t sure he would be able to fight Ladybug when the time came. He didn’t like her, since she was the one stopping his mum from coming back, but he didn’t want to fight her. She was a genius. He wouldn’t win against her without backup.

With a sigh, he kept glancing around the courtyard and smiled when he saw Marinette. She was sat almost directly below him, alone on a picnic bench, and she had her sketch pad out. From what he could tell, she was sketching the wall and bench directly opposite her, but sat on the bench… Adrien’s smile widened. She was drawing the two of them sat there, Marinette’s head leant on his shoulder. He wanted to do that with her. Except, whilst in the sketch, he was just sat there smiling, he’d wrap his arm around Marinette’s waist, and maybe lift her up slightly and guide her to sit on his lap. And once she was comfortable, he would wrap his arms around her and hold her close and never let go.

He wanted her to win today. She deserved it. She was always so kind and giving to everyone, and from the glimpses he’d seen of her sketchpad, she really liked fashion, too. His princess was impressive. Adrien let out a quiet groan and slouched on the railings. He can’t believe he called her that the other week. And although she had blushed, she hadn’t seemed to mind. Not that he was going to call that to her face again. Or maybe he would, when he asked her to be his girlfriend. He wanted to get to know her more first, though. They’d spent a while together already, but he wanted more time to just admire her in case she ultimately rejected him like all the other boys at this school. And Adrien didn’t even know if he was allowed to have a girlfriend. But he was planning on keeping her a secret if they got together. His father would use Marinette against him and Adrien wouldn’t have that. She was the only good thing in his life. His father couldn’t know how he felt about her.

He continued to watch her, but when Ivan and Mylène came upstairs, Adrien retreated into the classroom and sat at his desk, not bothering to get anything out.

Nino came in next and gave him a high five as he sat down. ‘Morning, my dude!’

‘Good morning.’

‘You sound happy. It wouldn’t be because you just spent fifteen minutes staring at Marinette, would it?’

Adrien blushed, ‘I-I wasn’t.’

Nino laughed. ‘Yeah, okay, I believe you.’

Neither boy said anything else and they both smiled as Marinette and Alya came into the classroom. Nino and Alya exchanged greetings, along with probably a quick kiss, but Adrien didn’t take any notice. He was completely focused on Marinette. She was wearing a black skater skirt along with an off the shoulder red shirt. Not only did the colour suit her incredibly well, but showed off the smooth expanse off her creamy skin at her neck and shoulders. She was gorgeous. Not that she hadn’t been every other day Adrien had seen her.

‘Hi, Marinette,’ he said, trying not to make his staring too obvious.

‘Hey,’ she said, clutching her sketchpad to her chest as she stopped by Adrien’s desk. She looked worried.

‘Are you nervous?’

‘A little. Do you know what the competition will be about?’

Adrien shook his head. ‘Sorry. My father didn’t tell me. I know as much as you.’ He reached out and squeezed the hand of her that wasn’t holding the sketchpad. ‘You can do it, though, whatever it is, I’m sure.’

She smiled timidly. ‘Thanks, Adrien.’

Her hand slipped out of his grip then as she ascended the stairs and took her own seat, drumming her fingers on the cover of her sketchpad. She really was nervous for today. And not just because the competition was for Gabriel Agreste. This design was for his _son. _For _Adrien. _Who had called her princess two weeks ago. They hadn’t spoken about it. She wasn’t sure she wanted to. Her face would go bright pink beyond recognition if they did. But that didn’t mean she hadn’t enjoyed it. Him calling her that had been the only thing on her mind for the three days after it happened, and it had made her heart flutter in her chest. She really liked Adrien. She was falling for him. Hard. But him calling her princess was just a mistake. There was no way that someone like him would be even remotely interested in someone like her.

The rest of the class came in, and then Mme Bustier and M Damocles entered, the latter of which was holding a piece of _Gabriel _letter headed paper. The whole class quietened down, their attention on the headmaster.

‘Good morning! Now, as you all know, Adrien Agreste, son of fashion designer, Gabriel Agreste, started attending Dupont in your class this year. As a result, Mr Agreste wants to hold a fashion design competition. You must be back at the school by 4pm today with your final garment, it must be inspired by Paris, and you must work in pairs. The garment is… a derby hat!’

The whole class just stared at him in silence.

‘What’s a derby hat?’ Alix whispered.

Chloé scoffed and turned in her seat. ‘Why on earth are you even bothering to enter this competition when you don’t even have a basic understanding of fashion? Besides, it’s obvious that _I’m _going to win.’

Sabrina sniggered from beside her and Adrien rolled his eyes. He really despised those two sometimes.

‘I’m sure you can all do some research on what a derby hat is before you begin designing,’ Mme Bustier said with a smile. ‘But not too long! The competition starts… now!’

Half of the class scrambled to get up, but Marinette didn’t move and Adrien listened to her conversation with Alya.

‘You know what a derby hat is, right, girl?’

‘Yes, but… I’ve never designed one before. It’s not something I’ve been dying to make.’

Alya laughed. ‘It’ll be alright. Come on, I’ll come with you to design it.’

‘No, it’s okay. I’ll design it, and when I have something, I’ll text you what materials I need, you can bring it to mine and we’ll make it together.’

‘Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like I’m using you.’

‘No, it’s fine. I like designing, so I don’t mind. Why don’t you spend some time with Nino? I guess he’s not taking part since Adrien isn’t.’

‘Okay, girl. I’ll have my phone on me, so just text as soon as you’re done.’

‘I will.’

‘Will you be designing at your house?’

‘No. I think I’ll go to the Eiffel Tower? You know, for inspiration or whatever.’ Marinette left the classroom then and Adrien watched her as she went.

The Eiffel Tower seemed like a good idea. You didn’t get much more Parisian than that. Maybe he could go, too. His father had assumed that classes would be going ahead as normal alongside the competition. In actual fact, they were cancelled, and if his father had known, Adrien would have been collected by his bodyguard and taken straight home. But his father didn’t know, so Adrien was free for the day. Going to the Eiffel Tower sounded like a good idea. Not because Marinette was there. Not at all.

He waited a few moments before he eventually stood up, too.

‘Where are you going, dude?’ Nino asked.

‘Just for a walk.’

Nino rose his eyebrow. ‘Yeah, yeah. That walk wouldn’t happen to be near a certain gigantic metal tower?’

‘I wasn’t planning on it,’ Adrien replied before leaving. He didn’t particularly mind Nino knowing how he felt about Marinette, but he couldn’t have the other boy telling everyone in the class. Especially not Chloé. If she knew, then it would get back to his father. His feelings would have to be kept a secret for now.

He left Dupont just as Marinette crossed the road and started walking along the Seine towards where the Eiffel Tower dominated the skyline. He followed at a respectable distance, watching her walk. She seemed a little stressed. Her steps weren’t as confident, nor as bouncy, as usual. Was she okay? Adrien bit his lip. He didn’t want his princess to be sad.

‘I’m sure she’s fine, kid,’ Plagg said, peaking out the slightest from the pocket of the green shirt that Adrien had picked to wear that day.

‘You don’t know that.’

‘No, I don’t. Maybe she’s just worried that she’s got a stalker,’ Plagg teased.

Adrien knew Marinette had no idea how he felt about her, and she certainly had no idea what he was doing right now. She wasn’t worried about that. ‘Be quiet and eat some cheese.’

‘You left all the camembert in your school bag,’ the kwami sing-songed.

‘Really?’ Adrien groaned. The only things he had on him were his phone and wallet. Trust him not to bring cheese on the one day he wanted Plagg to shut up. For the most part, Adrien enjoyed his company. It had taken Plagg a while to open up to him, since he was well aware that Adrien had stolen him, but they had a somewhat good relationship. They played piano and video games together, they ate together, and they talked a lot, since Adrien spent most of his time at home alone. They talked about Marinette quite a lot, too, but Adrien didn’t particularly want to at the moment, not when he was following her.

Plagg laughed. ‘I’m hungry. Don’t you think we should head back to school instead of following your princess?’

Adrien huffed and poked Plagg’s head so the kwami was fully hidden. ‘I’ll get you some food soon.’

‘Why don’t you buy Marinette some food, too, while you’re at it?’

Adrien mulled it over. ‘That’s not a bad idea actually.’

‘Look at me. Whoever thought I’d be a matchmaker?’

The blond model laughed. ‘No one, probably.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. Tikki always thought I was pretty smooth.’

‘Tikki?’

‘She’s Ladybug’s kwami.’

‘Oh.’ For some reason, Adrien hadn’t imagined that she had one. But she obviously did. That’s how this whole thing worked. ‘Is she red?’

‘Obviously, my sugar cube is red. With a black dot on her forehead.’

Adrien smirked. ‘Your sugar cube?’

Plagg groaned. ‘End of conversation,’ he said as he dived back into Adrien’s pocket.

‘Do you fancy Tikki?’

The only response was another groan from Plagg and Adrien laughed. He continued following Marinette, but she came to a stop at the Palais de Chaillot, where she sat down and began to sketch.

Adrien stood to one side and watched her for a few moments. Her hand worked fast, sketching designs quickly but then discarding them just as rapidly. Maybe this was what she was stressed about. Why did it mean so much to her to win?

Maybe going over would help with her stress. 

With a smile, Adrien sauntered over and sat down on the steps beside her. ‘Making good progress?’

She squealed and her pencil skidded over the paper, drawing a line through the design.

‘I’m sorry,’ Adrien said. 

‘It’s alright,’ Marinette said as she rubbed out the line, then smiled up at Adrien. ‘If you wanted to come with me, you should have said when I left the classroom.’

Adrien laughed nervously. ‘I know, I was just waiting to see if my bodyguard was coming to pick me up. I think my dad assumed that we would be having classes today as well as the design competition, so I’m free for once. I thought the Eiffel Tower would be a good idea, too. I’ve only been here a few times. Not recently, though. The last time I was here, my mum brought me.’

Marinette set her sketchpad down on the stone in front of her. ‘Tell me about her?’

‘Are you sure? You’ve got work to do.’

‘It’s okay. I want to hear about her.’

Adrien smiled. ‘She was really nice. She didn’t work, she stayed at home with me. She home schooled me, and to protect us, my father made us stay at home. We were allowed out occasionally, for educational trips, but we usually just messed around. When she fell ill, my father’s assistant, Nathalie, started to home school me, and then when my mum died, Nathalie took care of me full time as well as helping my father. But we were only allowed outside for photo shoots until this school year.’

Marinette frowned. ‘Didn’t your mother die four, five years ago?’

‘Yep.’

‘And you’ve been stuck inside this whole time?’

‘Yeah. That’s why I like you so much. You’re my first friend.’

Marinette blushed. ‘I thought Chloé was your first friend.’

‘She’s more of someone I just know. I wouldn’t class her as a friend. I don’t think I like her particular much.’

‘Me neither.’ Marinette picked her sketchpad back up and carried on drawing.

Adrien looked at all of the pages she had torn out before. None of them were finished but he could see the general concept of them. And they were all really good. Adrien was certain any of them would win. Why had she torn them all out? ‘Why don’t you like these?’

‘They’re not good enough,’ she said without looking up from her sketchpad. 

‘You are joking, right? These are amazing! My father would like any of them.’

She glanced up at Adrien. ‘Really?’

‘Yes. You’re seriously talented.’

‘Thank you.’ She chewed the end of her pencil for a moment. ‘Do you really think these are good enough? It’s just... I really want to go to fashion college next year, but it’s expensive, but if I win this competition, it’ll really set my application apart, and it’ll make my chances of getting a scholarship better.’

So that was why she was stressed. ‘I wouldn’t lie to you. They’re amazing designs. Any college would be honoured to have you. And if not, then I could try and get you a job at _Gabriel_.’

Marinette laughed. ‘Don’t tempt me or I’ll take you up on that.’

‘As long as you’re hard working, my father will be happy to have you. Would you like something to eat?’ he asked, noticing a food cart nearby.

‘Oh, yes, please. I was so nervous I didn’t eat breakfast. Here, let me give you some money...’

‘No, it’s on me.’ He wandered over to the food cart before Marinette could insist. ‘Two nutella crêpes, please.’

The lady serving smiled and poured the batter onto the grills with a ladle and Adrien watched her flip them over so they could cook on the other side and spread nutella on the cooked side. He’d had these the last time he was here with his mother. That had been five years ago. 

‘Here you go,’ she said as she rolled them up.

‘Thank you.’ Adrien handed her the money and took the crêpes from her before walking back over to Marinette. Before he got there, though, he tore a chunk off one crêpe and dropped it in his shirt pocket. ‘Here you go.’

‘This isn’t cheese!’ Plagg complained. 

‘I said I was getting you food, not Camembert. Shush.’ Adrien sat down beside Marinette and handed her the intact crêpe.

‘Thank you, I could have paid you, though,’ she said. 

‘I know. I wanted to buy it for you.’

They ate in silence, watching as Officer Raincomprix reprimanded Mr Ramier for feeding the pigeons.

‘It’s a shame,’ Marinette said. ‘I always like it when he feeds the pigeons. They must struggle to find food.’

Adrien just hummed. He did like pigeons. He thought they were funny with how they walked and he liked the noise they made, but he stayed away from them because he was allergic to feathers.

Marinette finished her crêpe, and still looking at the pigeons and Mr Ramier, she began to sketch. This time, the derby hat was black with scalloped edge green and purple iridescent patches, and at the base of the hat was a black ribbon with her name written upside down in cursive and picked out in gold. All of it would be set off with a pigeon feather. It was perfect.

How would Adrien look in it, though? She bit her lip. He looked good in anything. Literally anything. He could walk down the catwalk in just the hat and- okay, let’s not go there. But the point still stood. He would be able to make it look good. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was if his father liked it.

‘A pigeon themed hat?’ Adrien asked, peering over her shoulder.

‘Yeah. Do you think your dad will like it?’ she asked, holding her sketchpad up.

‘Judging from just the design, yes. But he’s a stickler for detail. Make sure to be careful when you make it.’

‘Okay. I can do that. I’m pretty good at sewing, I think.’ She took out her phone and sent a quick text to Alya with the materials needed, then she took a pink tape measure out of her bag. ‘Can I measure you?’

‘Oh, if you like. It doesn’t have to be made to my size. It can just be a prototype.’

‘I know, but I want to be thorough. It might help me win, right?’

Adrien nodded. She had a point. He sat still as she knelt before him and gently wrapped her tape measure around the circumference of his head. He’d been measured hundreds of times, but somehow, this felt different. It felt intimate, even though they were in public, and it felt oddly comforting, too. From now on, he only wanted Marinette to measure him.

She wrote the measurement down, then measured from his eyebrows upwards, and once she had that down, too, she put her tape measure and sketchpad away. ‘Okay, I’m going to go and make it. Do you want to come?’

‘No, it’s alright. I think I’ll stay here.’

‘Well, if you change your mind, I’ll be at home. Just ask one of my parents to see me, and they’ll let you up. See you later!’

She waved at him then jogged off and Adrien watched her go for a moment. He really did want her to win. She showed a lot of talent for designing, and she worked extremely hard. She really did deserve it.

And if she won this, not only would it look good on her university application, but it would also put her in the running for internships at _Gabriel._ Adrien’s heart sped up at the thought of that. The fashion house was one of the only places beside the mansion that was deemed safe, and as long as it didn’t disrupt his studies and other activities, he was allowed to go as much as he wanted. He had never taken his father up on his offer since he found the _Gabriel _fashion house to be rather boring, but he would go as much as he could if Marinette worked there. He imagined her wandering around behind the high white walls and floor to ceiling windows, wearing heels that wouldn’t make her taller than Adrien no matter how high they were, and him pulling her into deserted fabric cutting rooms to kiss her senseless. Hopefully he would have asked her out by then. Not going to lie, he was a little scared of doing it. What if Marinette did reject him like everyone else? But he remembered what Kim had said: Adrien was the only boy Marinette really seemed comfortable around. Maybe she would say yes to him. And maybe she would apply for the summer _Gabriel _internship. And then maybe she would get it. Adrien couldn’t help but smile. The thought of spending all summer with Marinette made his heart flutter in his chest.

He hadn’t even considered what would happen when school ended for the summer. Would he get to see his friends? Would he even get to go to university? Adrien bit his lip. It would probably depend on whether or not he’d got Ladybug’s miraculous by then. If he hadn’t, then he’d probably get to enrol at university to try and akumatise more people. But that was a year away. His father would be angry if they hadn’t got her earrings by then. And Adrien did want his mum back. But he also wanted to be free. After only a month of going to school, especially with Marinette, he enjoyed it like he had nothing else in his life so far. He didn’t want to give it up. But he wanted his mum back, too. But he was going to be eighteen at the end of October. He would officially be an adult. He could do what he wanted after that. But would his father let him? He didn’t know. He would have to be cautious.

Suddenly, there was a scream, and Adrien’s eyes widened. Stood not that far away was an akumatised Mr Ramier, dressed as... a pigeon? Like a pigeon furry? Why in the ever living fuck had his father picked that of all things?

‘I am Mr Pigeon and Paris now belongs to the pigeons!’ he proclaimed. 

With a sigh, Adrien ran off to find somewhere to transform. This was the weirdest akuma yet.

...

The akuma hadn’t been particularly hard to defeat, it was just... weird. And there had been no opportunity to take Ladybug’s earrings. But that wasn’t what Adrien was concerned with. It was one minute to four and Marinette wasn’t here. Was the hat not finished? Alya was here, though, stood beside the only empty display podium. What if Marinette had got hurt during the akuma attack? Adrien bit his lip. He hadn’t seen her. Hopefully she got home before Mr Ramier had managed to get to her.

The doors to the school were thrown open then, revealing Marinette with a hat box, and just behind her was Nathalie with his bodyguard. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief. It would be a shame for Marinette to miss the deadline after all of her hard work.

He watched as she unboxed the hat, which looked just as good as the design had, if not better, but then Alya pointed across to the hat on Chloé and Sabrina’s podium. Adrien’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. The hats were identical. But how? Marinette had designed it from scratch right in front of him. It was easy to disprove that Chloé’s was the original since Adrien had been there, but if he revealed that, then he’d be done for when he got home. But he didn’t want to not assist Marinette. Thankfully, she didn’t look flustered. Rather, a cheeky smirk cane over Marinette’s beautiful face and Adrien smiled: she had a solution.

Nathalie and his bodyguard approached where he and Nino were stood, the latter holding a tablet with his father’s face filling the screen.

‘Hello, Adrien.’

‘Hello, father.’

‘Who’s this?’ Gabriel asked, able to see Nino in the frame. 

‘It’s my friend, Nino. I’ve mentioned him before.’

‘Yo, Mr Agreste.’

‘Ah, Mr Lahiffe. You look well after being stuck in the carousel during the Stormy Weather akuma attack.’

‘Err...’

Adrien laughed and looked at Nathalie. ‘Let’s start, yeah?’

She nodded and went to Rose and Juleka’s podium, but Adrien and Nino hung back.

‘What was that about?’ Nino asked. ‘I wasn’t even in Paris when Stormy Weather attacked. I was visiting my grandma in Nice.’

Adrien laughed again. ‘He’s just mistaken. He’s old.’ His father wasn’t even 40.

‘Alya was stuck in there, though. Are you sure you didn’t get mixed up?’

‘I mean, maybe. Marinette was in there, too.’

‘Really? Alya never mentioned that…’

Before Nino could question him more, Adrien followed Nathalie who were approaching Chloé and Sabrina.

‘Hi, Mr Agreste,’ Chloé said with a wink. 

‘Hello, Miss Bourgeois. Your hat is very impressive.’

‘Thank you, Mr Agreste.’

Nathalie moved and went over to Marinette and Alya. Adrien watched from beside Nathalie as Marinette kept smiling despite his father’s glare. Not even Adrien was brave enough for that.

‘Miss…?’ Gabriel asked.

‘Dupain-Cheng. Marinette Dupain Cheng.’

‘Miss Dupain-Cheng, your hat is identical to Miss Bourgeois’. What is your explanation for this?’

‘This is my design that I came up with this morning, which has not only been made to fit Adrien’s exact measurements, but I can prove that the design is original.’ Marinette picked up the hat and flipped it over and showed the ribbon to the tablet. ‘I signed it.’

Chloé shrieked and Adrien smirked. It served her right for cheating.

His bodyguard marched over to Chloé and flipped over the hat, revealing Marinette’s name in gold.

Chloé stomped her foot. ‘So what if I copied her? She doesn’t deserve to win when she’s hanging around _my _Adrikins all the time!’

Adrien rolled his eyes. ‘Chloé, I decide who I’m friends with. You don’t have anything to do with that decision, and to try and rip off Marinette’s design because of it is petty and stupid.’

Chloé stomped her foot again and she and Sabrina left the school, and Gabriel cleared his throat. ‘Apologies for the mix up. Your hat is magnificent. It was inspired by pigeons, correct?’

‘Yes, Mr Agreste. There is a real pigeon feather, too,’ Marinette said as she pointed to it.

To Adrien’s surprise, a small smile overcame Gabriel’s face. ‘Unfortunately, we will have to substitute it with a fake one. Adrien is allergic to feathers. I can’t have him sneezing when he wears it on the runway.’

‘W-when?’

‘Yes. You have won the competition. Please give the hat to Adrien to bring home.’

‘Yes, Mr Agreste.’

Nathalie ended the face time call and tucked the tablet under her arm. ‘Let’s go, Adrien.’

‘I’ll meet you at the car?’ Adrien asked. He wanted to talk to Marinette.

Nathalie nodded and left the school, his bodyguard and the rest of their classmates following her until it was only Adrien and Marinette left in the courtyard.

‘I can’t believe I actually won!’ Marinette squealed, then threw her arms around Adrien. ‘Thank you for helping me!’

He smiled and held Marinette around the waist. Having her this close – or at any distance – or, actually, whenever he thought about her – made his heart beat speed up. ‘I didn’t do anything. I just sat there and watched you draw.’

Marinette laughed. ‘Being there helped me. Plus I won’t have to remake it for the fashion show it’ll be worn at since the measurements are correct. So thank you.’

‘It’s no problem, princess.’ He felt Marinette stiffen up in his arms. He wasn’t supposed to say that. It just slipped out. ‘I’m sorry. I should have asked before I called you that. I’ll stop if it makes you-’

‘N-no. I like it. It’s okay. I’m just not used to it yet.’

Adrien smiled as she relaxed back into his embrace. ‘I’m glad you like it.’

Marinette pulled out of the hug then and packed the hat away into the box. ‘Here,’ she said as she handed the box to him and he took it with a smile.

‘Thank you. I can’t wait to wear it. Well, as soon as the feather has been replaced, that is.’

She laughed and they began to walk to the school’s entrance. ‘I had no idea you were allergic, sorry. I would have made a fake one if I had known. But with the akuma attack…’

Adrien’s eyes widened in panic. ‘Did you get hurt?’

‘N-no. But it happened when Alya was on her way with the fabric, so with the pigeons everywhere kind of slowed the making process down a bit. But hey, it was fitting, since the hat was inspired by pigeons.’

They exited the school and stood at the top of the steps together. There were a few other students still lingering around, including Chloé at the bottom, and Nathalie and his bodyguard were waiting in the car.

Adrien turned to Marinette with a smile. ‘I’ll see you on Monday, Princess,’ he said with a wink. 

Marinette blushed but took her phone out of her pocket. ‘Here. Put your number in. I realised I don’t have it. And we can chat over the weekend this way.’

With a smile, Adrien inputted his number, then sent a text to himself with it before she got out his own phone. He saved the number under the name “Princess”, and Marinette watched, her blush darkening. ‘You really do like calling me that, don’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Maybe don’t call it me around Chloé, though,’ Marinette said as she glanced at the other girl.

‘I won’t, but only because I don’t want her to be rude to you.’

Marinette huffed and folded her arms. ‘Like that will stop her. She’s bullied me for the entire time we’ve known each other.’

‘How come?’

She shrugged. ‘Because she thinks she’s better than me? I don’t know. But it still hurts.’

With a sad smile, Adrien placed his hand on Marinette’s shoulder. ‘It’ll be okay. Let me know the next time she does it and I’ll talk to her. You don’t deserve to be treated like this. Not someone as kind as you.’

‘T-thank you. Anyway, I have to be going. See you on Monday.’

They hugged again, then Marinette bounded down the steps, then across the road to the bakery.

Once she disappeared inside, Adrien ambled down the steps himself, but stopped by Chloé. ‘Why on earth do you think copying Marinette’s design was an okay thing to do?’

Chloé scoffed. ‘Because I deserve to win.’

‘And you could have if you’d put the work in.’

‘Why should I have to when Dupain-Cheng can do it for me? Like I said, she deserved it. She’s rude and arrogant and she’s trying to take you away from me.’ She reached out then, going to rest her hand on Adrien’s chest, but he took a step back from her.

‘Marinette is none of those things. And she’s not trying to take me away from you. I was never yours in the first place.’

Then he walked away from her and got into the back of the car, and he jumped slightly when he saw the tablet was propped up against the other door, his father on face time once more.

‘Adrien, were you trying to rile up Miss Bourgeois to be akumatised?’

‘Yes,’ he said. He wasn’t. He was just angry that she had been bullying Marinette. If he wasn’t careful, then he’d be akumatised, and he didn’t want to see what his father would make of his destruction powers. ‘She seems like she could be pretty powerful.’

His father hummed. ‘I agree. Good job, Adrien.’ He smiled again, and this one was wider than the one he had given Marinette. ‘I shall eat dinner with you tonight.’

Adrien couldn’t help the large grin that overtook his face. ‘Really?!’

‘Yes. I will see you at home shortly.’

Gabriel hung up the call and Adrien stared down at his lap, still smiling as the car set off. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten with his father. Today had been a good day. He’d be eating with his father, he’d spent a lot of time with Marinette, and he’d got her phone number. Which reminded him…

He took out his phone, now adding a pink heart with stars in it to the “Princess” contact name for Marinette. He really did like her, and for now, he was content to spend time with her and tease her until he worked out how she felt about him. He didn’t know how he would work that out, but he would. Right now, he wanted to be with Marinette more than anything, preferably for the long term. But he wasn’t sure how to achieve that kind of relationship. He didn’t have much to go on. His father _had_ loved his mother. He still did if the lengths he was going to get her back were anything to go off. But he had never shown it when she was alive. But bringing her back would be a second chance for all of them. Adrien would make this work. He would get Ladybug’s miraculous, no matter the cost to his own life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your sweet messages during my last update. Unfortunately, things have somehow managed to get worse but I'm dealing with it much better.
> 
> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


	6. Lady Wifi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya's theories get her akumatised.

**Thursday 17th October 2019**

Marinette sighed as she sat down at the picnic table in the school courtyard beside Alya.

‘Is everything okay?’ Adrien asked. He was sat opposite her with Nino next to him.

Her heartbeat sped up at how sweet Adrien sounded when he was concerned, but Marinette couldn’t find it within herself to be embarrassed for probably blushing in front of him. ‘No. I was just getting my lunch from my locker and Chloé was harassing me. I stood up to her, but it just gets to me sometimes.’

‘What did she say, dude?’

‘Just about my outfit. She said because I’m not wearing designer stuff, I shouldn’t be allowed to go to fashion college.’

Adrien narrowed his eyes. All of Chloé’s outfits were picked out by her staff members. She didn’t have a stylish bone in her body. And being rich enough to be able to buy designer clothes didn’t make you stylish. And Marinette had enough style to be able to design _and_ make her own clothes. Today, she was wearing blue acid wash jeans, black high top converse trainers, a black and white striped cropped jumper, and her hair was in a high ponytail. Of course, fashion was subjective, but it was cute and well-put together. And Marinette looked beautiful in it. That was subjective, too. But to Adrien, she was the most gorgeous girl he’d ever seen.

But this wasn’t the time for thinking about that. This was about Marinette’s feelings, and he could feel himself getting angry with Chloé for treating her like that. ‘Do you want me to go and talk to her?’ Adrien asked.

Marinette shook her head. ‘No, it’ll probably make it worse. Besides, you have to get to fencing.’

Adrien sighed: he’d forgotten about that. He grabbed his bag, stood up, and went over to Marinette. ‘I’ll text you later.’

‘Yeah.’

He leant down then, then whispered, ‘it’ll be okay, princess.’

Marinette’s little heart sped up and she managed to smile despite her mood. Adrien could always cheer her up.

Alya turned and watched him go, then she turned to Marinette with a raised brow. ‘He’ll text you later, will he? And when did you get his number?’

Marinette blushed. ‘After the derby competition…’

‘And have you texted him?’

‘Yes. We talked over the weekend. And most nights after school…’

Alya squealed and threw her arms around Marinette. ‘That’s so cute.’

Nino stood up awkwardly. ‘I think I’m going to eat elsewhere if you’re just going to talk about boys,’ he said, but Alya barely paid him any attention.

‘And?’ she said, ignoring her boyfriend as he got up from the picnic table. ‘What does he say?’

Marinette shrugged. ‘Just the normal things. He asks me how my day was, if I slept okay, the different fashion shoots he’s on since he knows I’m interested in that…’

Alya made more happy noises. ‘He asks you if you slept okay? That’s so cute! He definitely likes you!’

‘Ah, maybe…’

‘Well, it used to be an outright no, so this is a major improvement. Plus if he can help with Chloé bullying you, that’s a blessing in itself.’

Marinette sighed. ‘Yeah. I just hope she isn’t hard on him for trying to help me.’

‘If she is, I’ll come down on her like a tonne of bricks. I hate bullies.’

‘Is that why you moved schools?’ Marinette asked. ‘Because of a bully?’

Alya nodded. ‘Unfortunately, yes. I didn’t want to, and I tried to stand up for myself, but it was no use. It started small, with only one or two people, which I could handle, but then it was nearly everyone calling me names. The principal did nothing to stop it, so I left at the end of last year, pulled myself together over summer, and started here. But despite Chloé, I like it here a lot more. The teachers are better, my friends are better, plus Ladybug’s around now. She’s made my life infinitely better. Plus I have some direction now. I didn’t know what I wanted to do after school, but I know I want to be a journalist now. By the end of the year, my Ladyblog is going to make an amazing portfolio.’

Alya’s phone went off then, as did several other people’s in the courtyard, alerting them all that a new akuma had been sighted.

‘Akuma at Notre Dame! Got to go!’ Alya ran out of the school, a few others following her, but they were probably going home, and the rest ran for either the toilets or their classrooms to hide.

Marinette just smiled and opened up her school bag. ‘Ready, Tikki?’

The kwami nodded with a grin.

…

Marinette groaned as she practically face palmed her chaise longue. She could really do without akuma attacks in the middle of the school day that resulted in her missing all of her classes for that afternoon. Why couldn’t Hawk Moth be more considerate?

Tikki giggled around tiny mouthfuls of macaroon. ‘Tired?’

‘Yes,’ Marinette said, her voice muffled by the cushion. ‘And I still have homework to do.’ The seventeen-year-old groaned again. ‘Or not. Since my bag is at school and it’s shut now.’

‘No, it’s right here, Marinette!’

She lifted her head out of the cushion and saw that Tikki was pointing at her desk, where her school bag was propped up against her sewing machine.

‘Oh, Alya must have brought it.’ Marinette got up and ambled over to it, then took out her things, her eyes widening in alarm when she saw the sticky note attached to her tablet.

_I know who Ladybug is!_

_\- Alya_

‘Erm…’ Marinette exchanged a look with Tikki. ‘Should I be worried? I’ve been so careful! There’s no way she could find out!’

Tikki hummed and swallowed the last bite of the macaroon. ‘I don’t think Alya knows it’s you. She probably thinks it’s someone else. Besides, she would have rung you by now if she thought it was you. And I don’t think you have any missed calls…’

Just then, Marinette’s phone chimed from inside her school bag and her bluebell eyes widened.

She quickly grabbed her phone, and instead of calming down when she saw it wasn’t Alya who had text her, her heartbeat sped up when she that it was Adrien.

_From: Adrien :3_

_Hey. I hope you’re okay._

Marinette couldn’t help the dopey smile that overcame her face. She ambled up to her bed, homework and Alya’s note forgotten, and led down as she text Adrien.

_To: Adrien :3_

_I’m okay, thank you. I just don’t want it to carry on._

_From: Adrien :3_

_I’ll talk to Chloe tomorrow. I’m not having her treat you like this._

_To: Adrien :3_

_You don’t have to. I don’t want her to torment you, too._

She sent the text off, but when there was no immediate reply, Marinette frowned down at her phone. When they’d texted over the weekend, the replies had been quick. He must just be busy.

With a sigh, Marinette climbed down from her bed and got on with her homework, but by the time she was going to bed, there was no reply from Adrien. Was everything okay with him?

…

**Friday 18th October 2019**

Marinette checked her phone again as she put some books in her locker the next day at school. Adrien still hadn’t replied. Was there something wrong? Would he even be in today?

‘Hey.’

Marinette jumped in surprise at the sound of Adrien’s voice and she turned to him. He was leant against the locker next to her, looking as handsome as ever in a green t-shirt that matched his eyes and black skinny jeans. Marinette felt her heartbeat speed up at the sight of him, but she couldn’t help but frown. ‘Are you okay, Adrien?’

‘Er, yeah? Why?’

‘You never replied to my text.’

‘Ah.’ Adrien laughed. ‘Yeah, I just… my father took my phone off me. I was supposed to be practicing piano, but I was texting you instead.’ In truth, Adrien had been called into his father’s lair to… discuss yesterday’s akuma attack.

Marinette smiled. ‘You should really do your piano first.’

‘I wanted to check up on you.’

Marinette’s smile widened and she closed her locker, leaning against it like Adrien was. ‘I’m okay, really. It’s just that Chloé’s words sometimes hurt.’

‘Are you sure you don’t want me to talk to her?’

‘I’m sure. I don’t want her to be rude to you, too.’

Adrien sighed. ‘I guess. It’s just a shame. You always look good,’ he said, curling a lock of loose hair behind Marinette’s ear. It was true. Today, she was wearing baggy blue jeans and a brown and black polka dot blouse, and her silky hair was in a bun.

Marinette blushed. ‘Thank you.’

He reached up again, going to tuck more hair behind Marinette’s ear, but they jumped apart when there was a shout from the other side of the locker room.

‘Chloé! Alya’s taking photos of the inside of your locker!’

‘I was not!’

Marinette and Adrien, still leaning against the locker, watched the scene unfold. Kim took Alya’s phone from her and handed it to Chloé, who flipped through the photos.

‘Why do you even want to see inside?’ Sabrina asked.

‘Because… she’s Ladybug! And I can prove it! I just need more time!’

Chloé laughed and Adrien’s eyes widened. Chloé was Ladybug? Sure, he didn’t like Ladybug, but she was incredibly kind. Chloé was not. But if it was her, then it would be easy to get the earrings off her. Chloé already trusted him.

The bickering group left, heading for Mr Damocles’ office, but Adrien didn’t stop staring at Chloé’s retreating back. ‘I’ll see you in class…’ he muttered to Marinette. He probably came across as rude, but right now, getting the earrings and his mum were, unfortunately, more important.

He watched Chloé throughout class and he tried to imagine her in the red suit, but he just couldn’t see it. Not to mention her eyes and hair weren’t the right colour. But perhaps the magic of the miraculous changed it? It made his hair a little scruffy. It was possible it changed Ladybug’s hair, too.

The bell rung for lunch time, and Adrien exited the school, as if he was going to wait for the Gorilla to pick him up to eat at home today, but instead, he darted down the side of the school and watched as Chloé got into her car, presumably heading to the hotel for her lunch.

Adrien smiled. ‘Plagg,’ he whispered, and the kwami poked his head out of his jeans pocket.

‘You called, kid.’

‘I need to transform.’

‘Are you going after that Chloé girl?’

‘You bet I am. Plagg, claws out!’

Once Adrien was transformed, he climbed up to the rooftops and went to the hotel, and once there, he sat on the building opposite it, then took out his baton and used it so he was able to see into Chloé’s room. She was in the full Ladybug getup, mask included, but her hair and eyes hadn’t changed. And as she whipped the yoyo around the room, it came back to her, wrapped itself around her, and then she promptly fell over.

Chloé was definitely not Ladybug.

‘So, you heard the rumour, too, kitty cat.’

Chat Noir looked up, and stood beside him was the real Ladybug. ‘Oh. Ladybug,’ he said, unenthusiastic by mistake. He didn’t like her at the best of times, but he had kind of been hoping that Chloé was Ladybug, that way the earrings would have been easy to acquire.

However, he now knew that Chloé wasn’t Ladybug, so he could discount her. And in the same vein, he could discount the other akuma victims, too. None of them had obviously been Ladybug since she couldn’t be in two places at once. Well, assuming that she couldn’t be. Who knew at this point.

‘What are you doing here?’ he asked.

‘To check on Chloé. Didn’t you hear? There’s a new akuma and it was caused by her.’

Chat Noir rolled his eyes: of course, it had been Chloé.

Just then, Chloé’s bedroom was filled with a bright white light, and when it disappeared, she was stood, frozen, and beside her was what looked like Alya in her akumatised form.

‘Let’s go, Chat Noir!’

He reluctantly followed Ladybug across to Chloé’s balcony. He didn’t particularly want to help save her, since she had been rude to Marinette, but he needed to do it, or he really would never get the earrings.

…

‘Wait! Stay, and tell me who you really are,’ Chat found himself saying. They had defeated Lady Wifi – well, Alya – and Ladybug’s earrings were beeping and so was his ring. He would transform back soon, too. But maybe if he pleaded with her, she would show her identity to him. He was beginning to feel that Ladybug actually cared about him. She hadn’t left him in that freezer to freeze to death like he thought she would. He had to keep reminding himself that she didn’t hate him the way he hated her. She didn’t know what he was planning to do.

Ladybug just turned to him with a smile. ‘No one can know our identities.’ Then she slipped into the storage closet.

Chat Noir just stared at the door. She hadn’t shut it. She’d left it open ever so slightly. With a smile, he reached for the handle, but as he touched it, pink light radiated through the gap.

Pink?

Why wasn’t it red? Surely it would be red to symbolise the ladybird miraculous?

His hand hesitated on the handle. Should he open it? He wanted to. But… that pink light kind of reminded him of Marinette. Would she want him to do it like this? Probably not. This victory would be cheap.

He let the door handle go and vaulted over the front desk in the hotel, just as his ring gave the final beep and his transformation dropped.

A sly looking Plagg floated in front of him. ‘You were so close. How come you didn’t open the door?’

‘I didn’t want to betray her like that,’ Adrien said. She had really helped him in this akuma battle. But he’d get her one day, when she was least expecting it. And at the same time, he’d show all of France she wasn’t the kind and helpful girl they all thought she was. He just needed the right moment.

‘But you don’t like Ladybug. Why does it matter?’

Adrien shrugged. ‘I guess it doesn’t. But it was weird,’ he said as he handed Plagg a piece of camembert. ‘Her light is pink. Not red. Why?’

Plagg shrugged. ‘The light doesn’t represent the miraculous. It represents the miraculous holder. They just match sometimes. Like with you and the black cat miraculous. I don’t agree with how you’re using it, but I feel like it does belong to you.’

Adrien hummed. So, the wearer of the ladybird miraculous represented the colour pink. Marinette was the only person who sprang to mind.

He laughed to himself. There was no way his Marinette was Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


	7. The Bubbler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Adrien's 18th birthday, but will he get to see his princess?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!TRIGGER WARNING for Gabriel abusing Adrien at the end of the chapter!!

**Wednesday 30th October 2019**

Marinette bit her lip in a poor attempt to hide her smile. It had been half term, so she’d been off school for a week. She’d texted Adrien every single day, and they’d tried to arrange to meet up, but Adrien’s father had made it impossible.

Instead, she’d occupied herself with her homework, researching universities, fighting akumas, and editing a collage of photos of Adrien for her computer wallpaper. It would probably be deemed as creepy, but Marinette didn’t care. She missed Adrien. It had only been a week without seeing him almost every day, but Marinette liked him so much. Honestly, it was a little bit insane how fast and hard she had fallen for him, but every time she thought about him, she could feel more butterflies in her tummy than Hawkmoth could ever send out.

She’d even found time to make a scarf for Adrien, since, today, was his eighteenth birthday. She had initially wanted to make him some cakes, since he loved her parent’s recipes, but he would have to eat it at school, which someone might see and report to his father, or he would somehow have to sneak it home. An inedible item seemed like a better option. But he was the son of a millionaire. What could she have bought him that he wouldn’t already have? Not much, probably. So, Marinette made him a scarf. It was sky blue, and made of the finest material that she could afford. She hoped he would like it, but she couldn’t be sure. Either way, she had a birthday present for him, and she was certain he would appreciate it.

‘But what shall I say when I give it to him?’ Marinette asked aloud.

‘Happy birthday?’ Tikki suggested as she hovered nearby, nibbling on a macaroon.

‘But what if he thinks it’s stupid that I got him something?’

‘I doubt he will. You spent all week talking to him. I’m sure Adrien will be happy to see you after a week apart, especially on his birthday.’

Marinette smiled. Her kwami was right. She placed Adrien’s present into her school bag, swung it onto her shoulder, and Tikki fazed inside it. Today, she was going to see Adrien. Today was his birthday. And today was going to be a good day.

…

‘Happy birthday, dude!’ Nino shouted as Adrien climbed out of the car.

Adrien smiled. This was the first time he hadn’t been locked in the mansion for his birthday. ‘Thanks, Nino.’ He shut the car door and the Gorilla drove off without a word. He hadn’t said happy birthday to him, nor had Nathalie, nor had his father. But, in all fairness, Adrien hadn’t seen him this morning. There was still a chance he could say it.

‘And my present for you is going to be me being the DJ at your kickass party later. I’m going to talk to Papa Agreste, square it all over with him.’

Adrien grimaced. ‘I don’t think that’s such a good idea.’ He kind of wanted a party, since he’d never had one before, and it was his eighteenth after all, but it definitely wasn’t a good idea. His father would never let him, so there was no point in asking. And he didn’t even want Nino to ask his father. Adrien had been allowed to go to school on one condition: to rile people up to get them akumatised. He wasn’t supposed to be befriending them. But he couldn’t help but want friends. He’d been deprived of having friends his whole life, and now he was surrounded by people his age who liked him.

But if the worse came to the worse and Nino managed to talk to his father, and as a result, Adrien was pulled out of school, he would keep Marinette. He would still have his phone and computer. They could text and call and Skype. And assuming he would get to keep his miraculous, he could transform and sneak out to see her. He didn’t want to lose her. And he would get to see her today. He didn’t care if his father didn’t even speak to him today as long as he got to see his princess.

Before Nino could defend his idea, Chloé’s car pulled up and she and Sabrina got out.

‘Adrikins!’ the blonde girl exclaimed and she hugged him, then planted a kiss on his cheek.

He lightly pushed her away with a fake smile. ‘Hi, Chloé.’

‘Happy birthday. Sabrina, give him his present.’

‘Erm, you never asked me to get him one…’

The two girls started to bicker but Adrien ignored them. Over Chloé’s shoulder, he saw Marinette exit the bakery. The smile on his face became real and his heartbeat sped up at the sight of her. He had been irrationally worried that she would be ill today, but she was here. It was going to be the best birthday ever.

He felt a hand on his arm then and he turned to his side, confused when he saw Nathalie. Hadn’t she and the Gorilla already gone?

‘I’m sorry, Adrien, but there was a mix-up. You have a photo shoot this morning.’

The smile dropped off his face and he mournfully looked over at where Marinette was approaching. ‘But… school.’

‘You’ll be back by lunch. Let’s go.’

Adrien didn’t fight it. He let Nathalie lead him into the car and he just stared down at the ground. He didn’t ask for much. He was never greedy. But he just wanted to spend today with Marinette.

…

Marinette bit her lip as she stared up at the Agreste mansion. She was almost at school when she saw Adrien being escorted away to a photo shoot, according to Nino. He had told her that Adrien was supposed to be back by lunch, but it was lunchtime now and Adrien hadn’t returned to school. It wasn’t strange. The photo shoot could have just run over. But if it ran over too late, then Adrien wouldn’t come to school today at all and then he wouldn’t receive his present on his birthday.

She rung the doorbell next to the imposing gates and jumped back when a camera popped out.

‘Who are you?’ a woman’s voice crackled out of the speaker below the camera.

‘Er, hi! My name’s Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I’m in Adrien’s class at Dupont. I have a birthday present for him,’ she said as she got it out of her bag and then showed it to the camera. ‘Could you please give it to him for me?’

A hatch opened below the speaker. ‘Put it in here. I’ll see he gets it.’

‘Thank you!’ Marinette slid the present in the hatch, which snapped shut quickly. The teenage superhero looked up at the mansion then. It was grand and impressive, but it looked cold and detached from the rest of the world. Yet, despite growing up there, Adrien had become a wonderful person. She only wished that he had a good birthday.

She started walking back to school, stuck in her own daydreams, and she didn’t notice the car that Adrien was in the car that drove past her.

But he noticed her. Saddened, Adrien watched her walk back to school. Had she called to see him? He didn’t know. But he’d ask Nathalie as soon as he sat down for lunch. Or maybe he shouldn’t ask her. It would draw attention to Marinette and Nathalie might tell his father. He couldn’t have him finding out about her.

He sighed, and when the gates opened and the Gorilla stopped the car in the courtyard in front of the Agreste mansion, Adrien got out, his school bag slung on his shoulder. Nathalie had said he would be back at school by lunch, but the photo shoot had run over and now he would eat at home before going back for his afternoon classes. That meant spending even less time with Marinette.

‘Dude!’

Adrien jumped slightly, but then smiled when he saw Nino had snuck into the courtyard before the gates had closed. ‘Hey! What are you doing here?’

‘I’m here to talk to your dad about your kickass party this afternoon!’

Adrien tried to not let the smile drop off his face. ‘You really don’t have to…’

‘It’s fine, man!’ Nino took off then, running up the steps and through the mansion’s front door before the Gorilla could stop him.

Adrien ran after him, but by the time he got there, Nino was already talking to his father, who was stood in the hall. Had his father been waiting to greet him after his photo shoot?

‘Adrien will _not _be having a party,’ his father said, quite curt.

‘Oh, come on, dude. He’s never had one before. And he’s eighteen today.’

Gabriel’s glare went unwavered. ‘He shall not be having one. Nor shall he be fraternising with you any longer. You are quite clearly a bad influence on my son.’

‘Dad!’ Adrien stepped forward, but his father didn’t even look at him.

‘Get out of my house.’

With a clenched jaw, Nino turned and left the Agreste mansion, but Adrien stared at his father.

‘You could have just said no. I already told him it was a bad idea to ask, but you didn’t need to say all of that to him. No would have been fine.’

Gabriel transferred his glare to his son then. ‘I am well aware of how to discipline insolent boys. I have all too much practice with _you_. I sent you to Dupont with the sole intention of riling up your classmates to be akumatised. You’ve been there for almost two months and no one has been akumatised because of you, and you’ve made friends with an idiot who barely has a coherent enough grasp of the French language and basic etiquette to call me sir. So, since you’re a useless excuse for a son, I’ve riled up Mr Lahiffe for you. No doubt his anger will peak high enough in the next few moments and I will akumatise him.’

Adrien’s school bag slipped off his shoulder as he stepped towards his father. ‘No. Please. Just leave him. He only meant well. He didn’t anything wrong. Punish me instead. He doesn’t deserve-’

He was cut off mid-sentence when his father slapped him, and Adrien just closed his eyes, not wanting his father to show the tears and weakness in them.

‘I will do as I wish. I’ll akumatise all of your friends if that’s what I want to do. And don’t worry. I _will _punish you later. I don’t care if today’s your eighteenth birthday. If you continue to be insubordinate, I will hurt you. And if you can’t akumatise anyone, I will withdraw you from school and take your miraculous from you.’

He listened as his father walked off towards his lair, but Adrien kept his eyes shut. He didn’t want to do this. He wasn’t inherently cruel or mean-spirited. But he had to learn to be. He wanted his mum back, and if he was withdrawn from school, and if his miraculous was taken from him, then there was no way in hell he’d ever see Marinette again. But at the same time, if she saw him be as unpleasant and rude as he was on his first day at Dupont, she would want nothing to do with him. There was no way to win. Either way, his relationship with her would be ruined.

…

Adrien leant against the wall of the courtyard, sipping a cup of juice as he watched the party with a frown on his face. Nino had shown up at the mansion twenty minutes later, this time as the Bubbler, who banished every adult who got in his way into a bubble, and then commenced to throw Adrien his first birthday party. But none of the guests were happy. Nino was forcing them all to try and have fun, and whilst none of them disliked parties, or Adrien for that matter, being forced to do something you didn’t want to do wasn’t pleasant.

He would know.

He didn’t want this to happen to Nino. Or any of his classmates. Or anyone in Paris. But he couldn’t do anything about it. He was an adult now, too. If he tried to fight Nino, whether as himself or as Chat Noir, it would be all too easy to find himself in a bubble within a moment’s notice.

And to top it all off, Marinette wasn’t here. It was still their lunch break from school. And she had been in the area, more than likely heading back to her house to grab some food whilst everyone else had been at school and had heard about the party from Nino. After he had banished all of the teachers, of course. She just probably didn’t know yet. That was why she wasn’t here. It was a simple explanation. She didn’t hate him. She knew it was his birthday. She cared about him. He was sure of that.

‘Hey, Adrikins,’ Chloé purred as she sidled up to him.

He tried not to roll his eyes. ‘Hi, Chloé.’

‘How about a dance with your favourite girl?’

Adrien grimaced. His favourite girl wasn’t here, and if she did happen to show up, he didn’t want her to see him with Chloé draped all over him. ‘Maybe later. Not everyone from our class is here yet.’

Chloé glanced around and frowned. ‘Only Dupain-Cheng isn’t here.’

‘Well, I think she should be.’

The blonde girl rolled her eyes. ‘She’s a waste of space and she’s trying to take you away from me.’

Adrien tried to make sure the glare he shot Chloé came off as softer than he intended it to be. ‘Don’t say that about her.’

Suddenly, the music cut off and Adrien saw Ladybug’s yoyo fly through the air and then back to where she was stood on top of the courtyard wall.

‘Sorry, Bubbler, but the party’s over!’

Nino glared at her. ‘You trying to mess with my boy’s party? Then you don’t deserve to be here!’ He took out his bubble wand and blew a bubble at Ladybug, but it popped upon contact with her and Ladybug laughed.

‘Nice try, but I’m not an adult.’

Adrien tried not to let the surprise show on his face. Ladybug wasn’t an adult. He had assumed that they were the same age, and whilst it was more than likely she was around the same age as him, she seemed more mature than him, and he had presumed she was older than him. But she wasn’t. She was younger. Of course, if she was a similar age to him, she could have her birthday soon and become an adult, too, but it was a clue nonetheless. Whoever Ladybug was, she was _younger_ than him. It was something to go on.

But this also meant he couldn’t transform. If he put one foot wrong, Nino would have him in a bubble, and they floated up pretty high. It would take some doing for Ladybug to free him. Not to mention it would tell her that he was an adult and older than her. He didn’t want to give her any clues at all to his identity.

She would have to solve it alone. But he was grateful she was here. He didn’t want Nino to be akumatised in the first place. But running and hiding would force him to face the wrath of his father later. But he had no choice. His classmates were already running away, and he followed them.

…

Adrien was right. After Ladybug had saved Nino, school was cancelled for the rest of the day partly due to the traumatised teachers who had been put in bubbles, partly due to children wanting to see their parents to make sure they were okay. Adrien had trudged home, still without seeing Marinette, and Nathalie was waiting for him in the hall.

‘Your father wishes to speak with you.’

Adrien nodded and let himself be escorted to Hawk Moth’s lair, where his father was waiting, the riding crop he’d used last time already in his hands.

‘You disappointed me today,’ Gabriel said after just glaring at Adrien for a few moments.

‘I’m sorry, father.’

‘Standing up for your pathetic excuse of a friend, and then not even transforming.’

Adrien bowed his head. ‘I thought it was within my best interests to not become Chat Noir. If the Bubbler caught me and put me in a bubble, then it would have told everyone that I was an adult, which would be a big clue to everyone.’

Gabriel let out a hollow laugh. ‘If he got close to doing that, then I would have ordered him not to. I control my akumas, after all. What a pathetic excuse. All of this, just for a birthday party. Don’t you want your mother back?’

Adrien’s head snapped up and he glared at his father. ‘Of course, I do.’

Gabriel shook his head. ‘I don’t believe you. Shirt off.’

Adrien hoped the tears in his eyes didn’t show in the dim room. ‘But it’s my _birthday_.’

‘I don’t care if it was your _wedding_ day. You failed today, and you must pay the price.’

Without any more hesitation, Adrien pulled his shirt off and threw it to the floor, and then the riding crop made contact with his back. He jolted forwards ever so slightly, but clenched his jaw and fists in an effort not to make a sound. He was used to this. And the muscle he’d built from fencing and being Chat Noir gave him some protection. But the fact that today was his _birthday _made this hurt all the more.

And he didn’t even get to speak to Marinette. He just saw her in the distance, approaching school and by the mansion. So close, but not enough.

Adrien closed his eyes then. He just wanted to be with her tonight. But he couldn’t. Instead, his own father was abusing him on his eighteenth birthday, because he thought that he didn’t care about his dead mother.

The blond model felt blood trickle down his back and down the back of the jeans he was wearing, but his father continued, only stopping when Adrien was sure he had a very interesting pattern of slashes all over his back.

Gabriel threw the riding crop to the floor, then he went over to where Nathalie was stood at the entrance. ‘Escort him to his room. Do _not _tend to his wounds.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Adrien wanted to whimper but he held it in. He let Nathalie take his arm and guide him to his bedroom, taking it slow, and Nathalie opened the door for him.

On his bed was the small first aid kit, as well as a thin blue box that had been tied with a baby pink ribbon.

‘What…’

‘One of your classmates dropped it off for you. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She said it was a present for you.’

Despite the red-hot pain he could feel searing into his back, Adrien smiled through his tears. She’d got him a present. She’d remembered. The only one. She was so precious. He couldn’t let his father find out about her. He’d ruin her.

‘Thank you for giving it to me.’

Nathalie hummed, then she shut the door, but Adrien barely registered it. He undid his jeans, kicking them off as he walked over to the bed, before collapsing onto it, face first, then slowly reached for Marinette’s present, even though his arms and shoulders screamed for him not to.

Carefully, he untied the ribbon, then lifted the lid off the box, smiling when he saw the silky blue scarf inside. He took it out, letting the fine material slip through his fingers, noticing the golden stitching at one end of the scarf by the tassels, showing Marinette’s name, written like it had been on the derby hat she made.

He wanted to wrap it around himself, but he’d get it stained with blood. Instead, he let it fall off the bed, so there was no chance he would get blood all over it, and he reached for the pink ribbon and wrapped it around his fingers. She was so wonderful. His princess was as sweet as the macaroons she made.

Adrien heard Plagg fly out of the pocket of his jeans, as well as the quiet gasp that came out of the kwami’s mouth.

‘Kid… your back…’

‘I know.’

‘Want me to try and clean it up for you?’

Adrien smiled weakly into his pillow. ‘If you wouldn’t mind. Actually, first, could you pass me my phone? It’s in the pocket of my jeans.’

He heard Plagg fly away, then the rustling of material before the phone was dropped beside his head on the mattress.

‘Are you going to call the police?’ Plagg asked, flying into Adrien’s line of sight.

‘What? No. Why would I do that?’

Plagg glanced at his back. ‘Oh, I don’t know, maybe because your back looks like someone just tried to kill you.’

‘My father means well. He just wants my mother back.’

Plagg’s ears drooped. ‘Father’s who mean well don’t do this to their sons. I bet Marinette’s father doesn’t do this to her, and he seems like he means well, too.’

Adrien knew Plagg was right. But this was just how his father was. He was used to it. He grabbed his phone and selected Marinette’s name in his contacts as Plagg set to work on cleaning up his back with gauze, and thankfully, his princess picked up almost straight away.

‘Adrien!’ she chirped, sounding happy that he’d called. ‘Happy birthday!’

He felt tears prick at his eyes once more. ‘Thank you, princess.’

She giggled over the line. ‘I’m sorry that I didn’t get to speak to you today. But I did drop your present off at lunchtime, just in case. Did you get it?’

‘Yeah, just now. Thank you. It’s wonderful.’

‘Ah, really? I wasn’t sure what to get you, since you know… you’re rich, you probably have everything, so I decided to make something and I was going to make you cake but I know you couldn’t take it home so then I thought about what else I could make you and-’

‘Marinette,’ he said softly, interrupting her. ‘I love the scarf, but honestly, I don’t care what you got me. I’m just happy you remembered my birthday. This is the first present that I’ve ever received from a friend.’ _And the only present I got today. _He didn’t say that part, but he squeezed his eyes shut and he felt the tears about to fall again. They didn’t, but his voice betrayed him, thickening with the unshed droplets. He wouldn’t cry, though. That would mean that his father had won and finally broke him. And he wouldn’t beat him. Not on his birthday.

‘… Adrien? Is everything okay?’ Marinette asked, voice so soft and sweet and concerned.

‘Yeah. I’m just… happy. That I met you. And that we’re friends. Thank you for being here for me, princess.’

‘I’ll be here for you anytime you need me. But you’re okay?’ she asked again. She didn’t believe him. He didn’t blame her. He didn’t believe himself either.

‘Yeah. Are you… are you going to bed now?’

‘Er, yeah. Why?’

‘Will you… stay on the line with me? While we sleep?’

‘Yeah. Of course. Just as long as you’re okay.’

‘I’m okay, I promise. I just missed seeing you today, princess.’

Marinette made a soft sound. ‘I need a nickname for you.’

‘You can pick whatever.’

She hummed. ‘How about kitty? You kind of look like Chat Noir.’

The tears vanished then in alarm. ‘You think?

‘Yeah.’

‘I don’t think he’s as good looking as I am.’

Marinette laughed. ‘No, you’re definitely better looking.’

‘Nice to know you think so, princess.’

She didn’t reply, probably too embarrassed.

‘You’re good looking, too,’ Adrien said. ‘Like. A lot. You’re beautiful.’

She squeaked. ‘…Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘We should sleep. Before you embarrass me anymore.’

‘Why is it embarrassing to be called beautiful?’

‘Well, no one really tells me I am, I guess? Apart from my parents.’

‘I’ll tell you everyday, princess. You deserve to know.’

‘Thank you, kitty. Come on. Sleep. And I’ll see you in the morning. Good night.’

‘Good night, Marinette.’

Adrien put the phone down on the mattress and just listened to Marinette’s breathing instead of concentrating on falling asleep. It was probably a little creepy, but he needed this tonight, to know that she was here for him when it seemed like no one else but Plagg was.

He let the pink ribbon slowly uncurl from around his fingers as he felt himself drift off, imagining his back wasn’t covered in blood, and that he wasn’t an Agreste, and that his father didn’t hate him, and that right now, he had Marinette in his arms and they were both safe and together. But it wouldn’t ever happen. He would ruin Marinette with just one touch, and if by some miracle he didn’t, then his father would. Adrien could dream, but there was no scenario or situation or even parallel universe where a relationship with Marinette would work out. But he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, imagining a cake in front of him, a candle in the middle, and as he blew it out, his only wish was to be with his princess.

_Happy birthday to me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)
> 
> NOTICE – PLEASE READ!  
As some of you know, I am a PhD student, and my workload has just started to become super heavy, so updates may not be as frequent as I would like them to be - especially if the chapter is going to be NSFW. I always finish my stories, so none of them will go abandoned, but you may, unfortunately, have to wait a little longer for updates. I hope you all understand! :*


	8. Evillustrator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien has two new rivals in the running for Marinette's heart.

**Monday 4th November 2019**

Adrien had worn a jumper to class that day. The day after his birthday, when he’d woken, feeling groggy and in pain, Adrien had gone into the bathroom to assess his back. And it was _bad. _Plagg had tried his best, and he’d cleaned up all of the blood, but there were loads of slashes patterning his back, a few still open and weeping a little. They were, unfortunately, too high up for Adrien to be able to do anything about them, though. Nathalie wasn’t allowed to help, and by extension, that probably meant the Gorilla, too. And Adrien didn’t want to get anyone else involved. His father meant well, but no one could know about this.

He had decided against showering that morning, not wanting to aggravate the wounds any further, and he put on the thickest t-shirt he owned, followed by a black jumper. If the cuts reopened, his clothing would soak up the blood before anyone noticed. And he wanted to wear the scarf Marinette had made for him.

He smiled at the thought of her. He would finally get to see her. That’s when he remembered that he was still on the phone to Marinette.

He dashed back over to where his phone was, and when he brought it up to his ear, he could hear Marinette mumbling in her sleep. He wanted to be beside her properly, listening to it up close, watching her lips move soft and slow in her sleep, her eyelashes fluttering as she dreamed, her body warm in his arms. He didn’t want to admit how badly he wanted her.

‘Good morning, princess,’ he said, probably louder than necessary.

There was a quiet squeak, then she woke with a start. ‘Adrien… Adrien?! Oh, Adrien. Good morning,’ she said, gradually remembering that they had fallen asleep together across a phone call.

‘Sleep well?’

She hummed. ‘Yeah. It was good. And you? Are you okay? You sounded like you were going to cry last night.’

‘I’m fine. I was just… happy.’

Adrien registered Plagg watching him then, and he turned away from the kwami’s judging eyes. ‘I’ll see you at school, yeah? And don’t be late!’

She giggled. ‘I will be!’ She hung up, then Plagg flew over to Adrien.

‘Don’t lie to her, kid.’

‘I don’t want to. But I don’t want her involved. I want her as far away from this as possible.

‘If you told her, you know she’d try and get you out of here.’

Adrien narrowed his eyes. ‘Get out? I don’t want to get out. As soon as I get Ladybug’s earrings and my mum comes back, this will never happen again.’

Plagg shook his head. ‘You’ll only understand when it’s too late,’ he muttered, then fazed into Adrien’s school bag.

The eighteen-year-old model ignored his kwami and wrapped the soft blue scarf around his neck, making sure it didn’t drop too low on his back, just in case any blood leaked through. He put on a jacket, too, for another layer of protection, slipped on his shoes, grabbed his bag, then went downstairs.

Nathalie was waiting in the hallway, tablet in hand, and she gave Adrien a grim smile. ‘Good morning, Adrien. What would you like for breakfast?’

‘Nothing. I just want to go to school.’

‘How’s your back?’

Adrien glared at Nathalie, pausing on the stairs. ‘It’s great.’

She lowered her gaze. ‘I’m sorry, Adrien.’

‘If you were sorry, you would have helped me.’

‘I know. But your father just wants the best for you.’

Adrien didn’t even look at Nathalie as he walked past her. ‘Just take me to school.’

Nathalie went into the dining room, returning a moment later with the Gorilla. The three of them left the mansion and got in the car, and Adrien sat twisted, with his shoulder and arm pressed against the seat rather than his back.

He felt… different. It wasn’t just the pain in his back. He was an adult now. if he ever got tired of his father’s abuse, Adrien could leave whenever he wanted to. But he didn’t. He had to get his mum back.

The Gorilla pulled up at Dupont, and Adrien got out as soon as the car stopped, ignoring Nathalie’s nervous, ‘have a nice day.’ He climbed up the steps and sat in the empty school courtyard. Being stuck in his room his whole life, Adrien would have thought he should have grown to hate the silence, but he had learnt to enjoy the solace, and thankfully, Plagg didn’t come out of his bag.

What had the kwami meant? Until it was too late? Until what was too late?

The courtyard slowly began to fill up, and Adrien was only broken out of his thoughts when he heard a sweet voice calling his name.

‘Adrien!’

He turned around and a genuine smile spread across his face when he saw an on-time Marinette bouncing over to him.

He stood up from the picnic bench and welcomed the hug she gave him, holding in his wince as her hands laid on his back.

‘Happy birthday again. Sorry I missed you yesterday.’

‘It’s alright.’ He pulled out of the hug a little so he could kiss her on the cheek. ‘Thank you for my present, princess.’

She blushed but smiled when he saw it hanging around his neck, their arms still around each other. ‘It looks good on you.’

He smiled. ‘You look beautiful today.’

‘Adrien…’

‘What? I said I would tell you every day.’

‘I know. And thank you, but… are you okay? You sounded like you were going to cry on the phone last night.’

‘I’m fine, don’t worry about it.’

‘If you say so, kitty.’

Adrien blushed at the nickname she had given him last night and Marinette laughed. ‘Ah, now it’s your turn to blush at a silly name.’

The blond model took one of Marinette’s hands and gave it a gentle squeeze. ‘Princess isn’t a silly nickname for someone who is a princess. Like you.’

Marinette squeaked and bowed her head. ‘You’re so embarrassing…’

Adrien chuckled. Marinette could always make him smile, no matter what. ‘Come on, let’s go to our classroom.’

Each day since then had been largely the same. Adrien would wake up, get ready for school, skip breakfast, go to school early, and wait for Marinette, who seemed to be getting there earlier and earlier each day, and today, she was crossing the street from the bakery just as his car was pulling up outside Dupont.

‘Hey,’ Adrien said, and Marinette jogged over with a smile.

‘Good morning!’ she said, and as soon as Adrien’s car pulled away, she brought a small cake box from under her coat out. ‘I was wondering… did you get a birthday cake the other week?’

‘Er, no.’ Instead, he’d been abused by his father, but the pain in his back was fading now.

‘Then let’s eat this!’

‘Marinette, it’s eight in the morning. We can’t eat cake for breakfast.’

‘Says who? Come on!’ She grabbed Adrien’s hand and pulled him up the steps to the school, and he gladly let her lead him. She was so wonderful. He so badly wanted to call her his. But was it wise to pull her into the mess that was his life? Not at the minute. She was too sweet and wonderful and innocent. He didn’t want her getting embroiled in this mess. But one day they would be together.

They sat next to each other at a picnic table, and then Marinette opened the box. Inside was a large Mari cupcake, along with two forks. ‘I didn’t bring any candles, since I didn’t think it would be okay to bring a lighter into school. But you should make a wish anyway.’

Adrien closed his eyes with a smile. ‘Do you think it’ll still count even though today’s not my birthday?’

‘Hmm… as long as you didn’t wish for anything on your birthday, it should.’

Adrien nodded. His wish was simple. Marinette. He wanted to be with her. And, of course, that meant his mum had to be back first. It was technically two wishes in one. But it was his eighteenth birthday wish. Surely, he was allowed two for such a significant birthday, right?

He opened his eyes and smiled at Marinette. ‘Done.’

She handed him a fork. ‘Then let’s eat.’

‘You’re not going to sing to me?’

Marinette glared at him. ‘Don’t push it.’

Adrien laughed. ‘Sorry, sorry.’ He broke a piece off with the fork and ate the piece. ‘I think it tastes better than the cupcake. Did your dad make it?’

‘No. I did it.’

‘You did?’ he asked, surprised.

Marinette nodded as she ate. ‘I’m not the best baker. Honestly, my parents didn’t used to let me help out since I was super clumsy. I would just look at something and I would fall over it. I’m not as bad now, but I still have incidents. But I can bake.’

‘Do you want to take over their business?’

She shook her head. ‘Fashion, remember? I need to start looking at universities.’

‘You’ll get in anywhere. Your stuff is really good.’

‘Thanks. What about you? Are you going to take over _Gabriel_?’

Adrien shrugged. He didn’t think he would have a future until his mum was back. Would his father even allow him to fill out college applications with the others? He had no idea. And he didn’t even know what he wanted to do. ‘Fashion isn’t really my thing. I mean, I know a lot about it, and I like to look good, but as far as designing and selling, I have no interest. Tell you what, I’ll take over _Gabriel_, and I’ll hire you as the head designer.’

Marinette laughed. ‘Yeah, sure, Adrien.’

‘I’m serious. It’ll be fun.’ Among other things. He remembered the fantasy he’d had about her in the fashion house; pulling her into empty rooms and kissing her. If he was the CEO and she a designer, then he’d hang around her all day. Six hours at school simply weren’t enough with her.

She smiled and took another bite. ‘It’s a nice thought. But it’s impossible.’

‘Why?’

‘My ideas aren’t good enough for your father’s brand.’

Adrien put down his fork. ‘I think you can design anything better than my father can.’

Marinette looked away from him, but he could see the blush and small smile on her face. ‘Thank you.’

They finished off the cake before too many people arrived, and when the courtyard started to fill up, they went upstairs, but along to their science classroom rather than their usual room. They took their usual seats, still chatting as the rest of their class came in, and Adrien didn’t turn back around until Mrs Mendeleiev came in. He really wanted to sit beside Marinette. It’s not that he disliked Nino, but Alya was his girlfriend, so didn’t it make more sense for them to sit together? Or did boyfriends and girlfriends not sit beside each other in school? Was this a school thing he didn’t know about?

Mrs Mendeleiev started the lesson, which was about particle physics, and as soon as she told them that their next assignment would be group work, Adrien brightened up. He wanted to work with Marinette. He didn’t care what the work was on or who else he had to work with. He just wanted to spend all of his time with her.

Suddenly, Mrs Mendeleiev stopped mid-sentence and she stomped to the back of the room. The whole class watched as their science teacher slammed her hands down on Nathaniel’s desk.

‘Nathaniel! What are you drawing?’

Nathaniel’s slammed his sketchpad shut. ‘Nothing!’

‘You obviously were. No wonder you’re failing in science. Take this silly sketchpad to Mr Damocles office and explain yourself to him.’

‘Yes, Madam.’ Head bowed and sketchpad clasped to his chest, Nathaniel made his way down the centre of the classroom, but when he got to the desks at the front, Chloé stuck out her leg and Nathaniel tripped over it, dropping the sketchpad in the process.

It fell open on the floor and Adrien’s eyes widened. The pages were _filled_ with sketches of Marinette. Some were small, but the centre of the page was a sketch of Marinette from this morning sat on the picnic bench, smiling. Except in the drawing, she was alone, when in actuality, Adrien had been sat with her.

He felt jealousy rise up in him and he stared at Nathaniel. Marinette was _his. _Didn’t everyone know that? He supposed he should have seen it coming. Max had predicted that both Nino and Nathaniel had feelings for Marinette. He’d been correct, in part, about Nino, so he should have paid more attention to Nathaniel. Marinette spoke to him fairly frequently, and the boy always seemed to be a blushing mess afterwards. Marinette didn’t seem to notice or react to it, though, and Nathaniel didn’t seem the type to really chase after a girl, so Adrien wasn’t worried. But he was just annoyed that someone other than him had been thinking about Marinette.

Chloé picked up the sketchpad and held it up for everyone to see. ‘Aw, he has a crush on Dupain-Cheng!’

The rest of the class started laughing, but Marinette stood up and snatched the sketchpad from Chloé. ‘You’re seventeen. Haven’t you learnt to stop being mean by now?’

Chloé glared up at her. ‘I’m not mean.’

‘I guess not technically. You’re just being yourself.’ Marinette turned away from Chloé and handed the sketchpad to a now very red Nathaniel. ‘The drawing looked really good. I’m just sorry about Chloé.’

‘T-thanks, Marinette.’

She smiled at him, then he scuttled out of the classroom. As she turned to go back to her seat, Chloé stood up. ‘Who the hell do you think you are, Dupain-Cheng?’

Adrien stood up then and stood between the two girls. ‘Chloé, leave it.’

The blonde girl glared at him but backed away and sat back down.

Adrien turned to Marinette. ‘You okay?’ he whispered.

She nodded. ‘Thanks.’

‘Are the three of you finished?’ Mrs Mendeleiev asked, still stood by Nathaniel’s desk.

‘Ah, yes,’ Adrien said, both of them sitting back down.

‘Good.’ The science teacher made her way back to the front of the class. ‘Okay, before the bell goes, I’ll put you into groups.’ She grabbed a clipboard from her desk. ‘Adrien Agreste, Nino Lahiffe, and Alya Césaire. Then Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Chloe Bourgeois, and Sabrina Raincomprix.’

Adrien internally groaned. Why couldn’t he be with Marinette?

‘Want to swap?’ he heard Marinette whisper from behind him.

Alya laughed quietly. ‘No chance.’

Marinette sighed, and just as Mrs Mendeleiev finished reading out the groups, the bell went. ‘I won’t accept any excuses for not finishing the assignment!’ she shouted over the noise of everyone packing their things away, but Adrien ignored her and went over to Marinette.

‘Will you be okay working with Chloé?’

Marinette sighed. ‘I guess I have to be. Thanks for your concern, though.’ She glanced over at Chloé and Sabrina. ‘I suppose I should go and see how we’re going to split the work up. I’ll see you at lunch?’

Adrien nodded, and Marinette reluctantly followed Chloé and Sabrina out of the room, and he stared after her, forlorn. He probably wouldn’t get to spend a lot of time with her today if they were going to be working on this project.

Nino threw an arm around Adrien’s shoulders. ‘Come on, dude. Stop making puppy eyes at her back. We need to work on this project.’

Adrien nodded and followed Nino and Alya to the library. They commandeered a table in the corner and began discussing what area of particle physics they wanted to present on, but as soon as Marinette walked in with Chloé and Sabrina five minutes later, he was gone, already back to staring at her. She was in a heated discussion with the two girls, her pretty face marred with a frown, and Adrien smiled. She was cute when she was angry. He’d never forget that cute little pout on her face when she’d had a go at him on his first day at school.

‘Oi.’

‘Hm? Ow!’ Adrien sat up and glared at Alya, who had thrown a pen at him. ‘What was that for?’

‘Because you can’t concentrate every time she walks in the room. Do you even know what we’re talking about?’

‘Er… protons?’

Alya rolled her eyes, took a pen from Nino, and scribbled something down on a piece of paper then handed it to Adrien. ‘Go and find these books. And don’t worry. The science section is at the other side of the library from Marinette.’

Adrien rolled his eyes as he stood up. ‘Yeah, yeah.’ He walked away, finding the science section, and as he grabbed the books Alya requested, a gap in the shelf opened, showing the rest of the library. He couldn’t hear Marinette from here, but he could see her, and took the moment of privacy to stare at her again. He knew it was creepy, but he just couldn’t stop himself. He’d become so much more attached to her recently, probably due to what had happened on his birthday. She was the only one to get him a present, she’d stayed on the phone with him all night, they’d been meeting up every single morning, and she’d even made him a birthday cake. How could he not be more attached to her? But he understood it was creepy. She wasn’t his girlfriend, and he couldn’t bear to bring her into the mess that was his life. He had to stop this. But he couldn’t. He wanted her. Maybe…

Maybe he should just cut his losses and move out and try to be with her. He was eighteen now, and he’d checked his bank account. His father hadn’t taken any money out of it. The money in there was for him that he’d earned from modelling, which he’d been doing for years. He had more than enough for a decent flat in Paris. He would probably have to get a job for bills, since his father more than likely wouldn’t let him continue to model if he moved out, and it would be hard, but would this be better for him? If his father wasn’t involved, then Adrien could be with Marinette. But his mum…

No. He was staying.

He grabbed the last book, and took one more look through the bookshelf, then dropped the books in alarm. Chloé was being chased by… a huge hairdryer? What? He didn’t have time to think about it and unbuttoned his shirt pocket, revealing Plagg nibbling on some camembert. ‘Let’s go.’

‘Now?’

‘Now. Plagg, claws out!’

He transformed, and by the time he turned back around, everyone had vacated the library, apart from Chloé, who had been backed into a corner by the hairdryer, and Ladybug, who was trying to wrestle with it. How did she get here so quickly? Did she go to school here? That made sense. He had found out on his birthday that she wasn’t eighteen yet, because of the bubbles, so she was obviously still in school. But this school?

He didn’t have time to think about it now and he vaulted on top of a bookcase. ‘Having a bad hair day?’ he asked, baton in hand, smirking at Ladybug.

‘Chat!’ she shouted at him. ‘Help me stop this thing.’

‘Your wish is my command, my lady.’

He watched as she threw her yoyo at one of the pillars in the library, and it wrapped itself around it. She managed to steer the hairdryer somewhat, and it skidded to the ground in front of the bookcase Chat was stood on, and he jumped down, hitting it with his baton, and it disintegrated into a cluster of pixels.

‘What?’ Ladybug whispered, confused.

Chat Noir looked around, and on the balcony’s mezzanine level was a boy about his age in a purple stripy top and beret, holding a tablet and stylus. An akuma. And was that… Nathaniel? That would make sense. As long as he didn’t hurt Marinette. Where was she? He glanced around briefly. She wasn’t here. She was smart. She would have escaped in time. He would have to check on her later. He didn’t want Ladybug to get suspicious.

‘Him,’ he said, pointing up at Nathaniel, but he drew something on his tablet, and a gap appeared in the wall, which he walked through, and then sealed. Great.

‘We’ll get him later,’ Ladybug said and looked over at Chloé, who hadn’t moved from the corner. ‘He seems to be targeting you. Any idea why?’

Chloé shrugged. ‘I have no idea. Everyone loves me. I never do anything to hurt anyone. I’m the definition of perfection.’

Ladybug rolled her eyes. ‘You must have done something.’

‘Me? No way.’

Ladybug groaned. ‘Come on, Chat. Let’s go.’

He followed her but grabbed her arm before she could leave the library. ‘Shouldn’t we stay with her?’

‘What for?’

‘To protect her. In case he comes back.’

‘You can, but I’m not. She’s rude and selfish and doesn’t deserve my protection. You do it if you’re so bothered.’ Then Ladybug left the library and used her yoyo to lasso herself out of the open top of the school.

Chat Noir stared at the last spot she’d been stood in with a raised eyebrow. That was… kind of rude of her. Not that he was hurt. He would have to do that to her soon. Might as well get the ball rolling.

…

Marinette groaned and threw her bag down onto her chaise lounge and Tikki came out, disgruntled.

‘Hey!’ the little kwami shouted.

‘Sorry, Tikki,’ Marinette said, flopping down on the chaise beside her. ‘Chloé just really gets under my skin.’

‘I can see that. But Adrien was sweet, coming to your rescue.’

‘Yeah…’ Marinette said with a dreamy sigh. It was sweet of him. Not that she couldn’t handle it herself. But it was nice to know that he was there for her.

Tikki gasped then dived under the chaise and Marinette sat up just as the akuma victim from the library jumped into her bedroom from the window he had erased.

‘Er, hi!’ she squeaked. She tried not to be scared. She was Ladybug, after all. And she was pretty sure that it was Nathaniel, judging by the drawing tablet and how he had attacked Chloé. Marinette wouldn’t blame him.

‘Marinette, I’m sorry if I startled you. I just… I had to talk to you. I was wondering… if you could meet me later? For dinner?’

She rose her eyebrows. ‘Dinner?’

Nathaniel nodded. ‘Today is my birthday, and I would love to go to dinner with you.’

Marinette frowned. Today was his birthday? She always brought something for people’s birthdays, but she wasn’t super close to Nathaniel. She had never known when his birthday was. She felt awful now, especially after what had happened today, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong. ‘Oh. Of course. But on one condition.’

‘Anything.’

‘Don’t hurt Chloé again. I don’t like her either, but you shouldn’t hurt her.’ Marinette knew she shouldn’t have spoken to Chat Noir the way she had done, nor should she have been as flippant as she was when rejecting his idea to protect Chloé. She should do something to try to help at the very least.

‘Anything for you, Marinette. Meet me next to Notre-Dame at sunset.’ He drew a jetpack on the tablet then and flew out of the room, and Marinette flopped down onto the chaise. When had her life become like this?

Tikki came back out. ‘How are you going to deakumatise him if you’re going on a date with him?’

‘It’s not a date,’ Marinette defended. The only person she’d ever had any interest in dating was Adrien. ‘But I do feel bad. And I have an idea to get Chat Noir away from Chloé.’

…

Chat Noir had gone with Chloé back to the hotel and he was already regretting his decision to insist on protecting her. He should have left when Ladybug did. Chloé was moaning about their particle physics assignment, and whilst he had enough knowledge to help her, he didn’t want to in case it gave his identity away. And he also didn’t want to help her because no. She’d been rude, almost threatening, to Marinette, and he wouldn’t tolerate that, especially when it been over nothing. She was just jealous of Marinette.

Thankfully, his baton made a noise, and Chat pulled it out, never having been more relieved to see Ladybug’s face on the screen. He nipped outside onto the balcony, away from Chloé’s whining, and answered the call.

‘Calling to apologise for how rude you were, my lady?’

She laughed nervously. ‘Yeah, sorry about that. But you don’t need to protect Chloé anymore! But you do need to protect someone else.’

His baton pinged and Chat pulled it away from his face, eyes wide in alarm when he saw a photo of Marinette. ‘I need to protect her?’ he asked, attempting to keep the worry out of his voice. Was she okay? What had happened to her?!

‘Yeah. She’s cute, right? Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She lives at the bakery that’s across the road from Dupont high school. You know, the one where we hid from Animan? The name of the akuma victim is Nathaniel Kurtzberg and he’s in love with her. She’s not been hurt, but she’s meeting him later tonight to stop Chloé from being hurt. You just have to spend the day with her and make sure nothing bad happens to her, then accompany her tonight in secret to make sure Nathaniel doesn’t hurt her either. Think you can do that?’

Chat couldn’t help but smile. He’d been dying to spend all day with Marinette. And now he was directly being told to? Oh, he could do that. He could definitely do that. Just try and stop him from doing that.

‘Chat Noir?’

‘Oh, right, yes. I can do that. Shall I meet you there?’

‘Oh, I won’t be there. I have a secret mission to do. It’ll just be you and Marinette, I’m afraid.’

Chat’s eyes narrowed. As much as he had no qualms about spending all day alone with Marinette, what was Ladybug up to? ‘Okay, but what are you doing instead?’

‘Do you not understand the meaning of the word secret?’

‘No. Why don’t you meet me and tell me, Bugaboo?’

Ladybug groaned. ‘Just go and take care of Marinette, you furry idiot.’

‘Hey, I’m not furry.’

‘Whatever. Bug out.’

The call ended and Chat Noir poked his head inside Chloé’s room. ‘I have to go.’

Chloé leapt up. ‘Aren’t I in danger?!’

‘Not anymore. Have fun with your physics!’ he called, then vaulted off Chloé’s balcony, vaguely registering her shriek of indignation, but he didn’t care. He was going to get to be with Marinette.

…

He made it to the bakery as fast as he could, and when he landed on the street, Marinette was coming out of her house from the side entrance. He let out a sigh of relief. She was completely fine, not a scratch on her. Nathaniel hadn’t hurt her at all. Not that the thought that he would, considering he had feelings for her, but it didn’t mean he was above hurting her to do Hawk Moth’s bidding. He would have to keep a close eye on her.

He sauntered over to her and Marinette stared at him, curious. ‘Er, hi. Ladybug stopped by. She said you were coming.’

‘Precisely. And the pleasure’s all mine.’ Then he swooped down onto one knee, took her hand in his, and laid a gentle kiss on her knuckles. It didn’t fit his personality as Adrien, but he was free to be whoever he wanted to be as Chat. And if being Chat enabled him to kiss Marinette’s hand, then he’d be transformed all the time.

She squeaked and withdrew her hand from his. _Cute. _

‘I-I’m Marinette,’ she said with a shy smile.

‘Chat Noir. My lady told me you need protection from a boy, that akuma. He’s in love with you apparently?’

‘Yeah. We were in class earlier and he dropped his sketchpad and there were a few sketches in there of me. The rest of the class started laughing at him because he probably likes me, and he got akumatised because of it. He came into my room before and told me it was his birthday. I didn’t know and I felt so bad, so I agreed to meet him tonight.’

Chat Noir nodded. Marinette had gone above and beyond for his birthday, and while she wasn’t as close with Nathaniel, he was sure she would have least brought him in a cupcake for his birthday. But in return, she was now going on a date with him? That made Adrien’s blood boil. ‘So, you’re going on a date with him instead?’

‘I mean, I don’t want to. But Ladybug said it would help with getting his pen off him. She said that’s where the akuma is.’

‘You don’t like Nathaniel then?’ Chat asked. He had to know.

‘Not like that. He’s very nice. He’s just a friend. I like someone else.’

‘Good.’

‘What?’

‘Hm?’ Did he say that out loud?

‘I said I like someone else and you said good.’

‘Oh, I meant it like it’s good you don’t have feelings for him. It might be harder to get the pen from him if you liked him.’

‘Ah, okay. So… how do you plan on protecting me?’

‘Well, I guess we’ll just have to spend the whole day together. Do you have any homework to do?’

‘Yeah, but it’s not due until Friday.’

Chat held out his hand. ‘Then let’s explore Paris from the rooftops.’

‘Seriously?!’ she asked, a bright smile lighting up her already pretty face.

‘Of course. Who wouldn’t want to spend the day showing a lovely lady like you around Paris?’

Marinette blushed and scowled at him. ‘Stop flirting with me. The person I like isn’t you either, you know.’

Chat Noir chuckled. ‘Sorry, I couldn’t resist. You’re just too cute. Come on. Let’s go.’

Marinette took his hand, and he lifted her into his arms.

‘Ready?’ he asked, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

‘Yep.’

He pulled her close, then started running, managing to hold her with one hand and grab his baton with the other so he could vault up onto a roof. The miraculous gave the strength he’d built up himself naturally a boost, but even so… Marinette was light. Dangerously so. Was she not eating enough? Or getting enough sleep? Maybe meeting him early in the morning was too much for her.

Either way, Marinette didn’t seem to care with the way she squealed in delight. And it was nice to have an excuse to hold her this close. It’s not like he could just bring her into his arms at school for no reason. And whilst protecting her was a nice excuse to do it, he didn’t ever want her to be in danger again, even if it was only from the likes of Nathaniel Kurtzberg.

‘Anywhere you want to go?’

‘Hmm… the top of the Arc de Triomphe? And can we get ice cream?’

Chat rose an eyebrow. ‘Isn’t it a little cold for ice cream?’

She giggled. ‘It’s never too cold for ice cream.’

‘Alright, let’s go then!’

He bounced over the rooftops to the Arc de Triomphe, and once he set down Marinette down on top of it and made sure she was safe, he vaulted off it and went to the nearest ice cream parlour and got two tubs of chocolate ice cream, which he handled precariously as he got back up to where his princess was sat.

‘I forgot to ask what you wanted, so I just got you chocolate. Everyone likes chocolate, right?’

Marinette laughed. ‘Yes, I like chocolate, thank you.’

Chat sat down beside her then and they both began to eat. ‘So,’ he said after a few mouthfuls. ‘Who’s the guy you like?’

She turned away with a blush. ‘I’m not telling you.’

‘Why not?’

‘How do I know you won’t go and tell him?’

‘That’s a risk you’ll have to take,’ he said with a wink. ‘Do you not want him to know? You do realise that if he doesn’t know that you like him, he might not do anything about it.’

‘I know. It’s just… he’s so wonderful. And he’s so kind to me. I want to be with him, but… I don’t know, I’m just worried about him. Something happened to him last week. He won’t say what. He keeps saying he’s okay, but I don’t believe him. Not that I think he’s just outright lying to me for fun. But I just want to help him.’

So, it was him. But instead of being endeared by her confession, it just made him concerned that she was so worried about him. ‘What do you think is going on?’

She shrugged. ‘I have no idea. I’m assuming something at home. But further than that, I have no clue. I’m just so worried about him.’ Her eyes filled with tears and she set her ice cream tub down. ‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t apologise. You seem like a very caring person, and this guy obviously means a lot to you. It’s only natural for you to be concerned. But not to the detriment of yourself. I’m sure he can take care of himself.’

‘If he won’t tell me, then I really hope so. I don’t want to see him get hurt.’

Chat wrapped an arm around her shoulder. ‘He won’t get hurt. Just take care of yourself and be there for him, and it’ll be okay.’

Marinette nodded and picked her ice cream back up. ‘I hope so. Thanks, Chat.’

They finished their ice cream off, then Marinette leant her head on Chat Noir’s shoulder. ‘Do you think he doesn’t trust me? That might be the reason why he didn’t tell me.’

Adrien’s heart sunk. The reason why he hadn’t told her was to protect her, not because he didn’t trust her. He trusted no one else as much as he did her. What could he say to allay her fears without giving the game away? ‘I doubt it. He sounds like he likes you. I mean… tell me about this guy. Does he usually tell people things?’

‘Well, I don’t know. I haven’t known him for very long. This is his first year at school. He’s never been before.’

‘There you go then. Maybe he doesn’t know what you should and shouldn’t tell your friends. I’m sure, in time, he’ll tell you. Just keep being there for him. I’m sure he’s happy for the support. And at the end of the day, I mean, I don’t know this guy, but he might not open up that easily. And you’ve only known him since September. He might take a bit longer than other people.’

‘Yeah, that’s a good point.’

Chat smiled. ‘I’m sure he likes you, too. How could he not? Just give him some time.’ He had to get his act together. He thought he was clearly showing his interest in Marinette, but apparently not since she was thinking like this. He had to be clearer. Maybe he could try and show her how he felt at Christmas? Not a confession, but a gift to show how much she meant to him, considering her gift to him on his birthday had been so special. She deserved nothing less than perfect. And not only that, he had to try and be happier, even if he was only pretending. He couldn’t have her worrying about anything unnecessary.

‘Did you want to go anywhere else?’ he asked, voice quieter.

Marinette shook her head. ‘I like it here. But I don’t really want to go on this date with Nathaniel. It’s not that I don’t want to help. But I only want to go on a date with the guy I like.’

Adrien smiled. ‘It’s for the greater good. I’m sure he‘ll understand.’

They continued to sit up there until the sun began to dip below the horizon, and Chat stood up.

‘Come on. You can’t leave him waiting.’

Marinette nodded and stood up as well. ‘Yeah.’

‘I’m sure you can ring the guy you like as soon as you get home when this is over.’

She glanced at the time on her phone. ‘He should be going to bed soon. I don’t want to disturb him.’

‘Send him a text at least? If he heard about the akuma, I’m sure he’s worried.’ Why didn’t he suggest this morning about having another night long phone call? Of course, he didn’t know that this was going to happen, but he’d never slept as well as he had done on that night. He hoped it had helped her, too. And he just hoped his time spent with her this afternoon had comforted her somewhat. She had told him that he resembled Chat, after all.

Marinette nodded. ‘I will.’

Adrien brought her into his arms again, holding her a little tighter than necessary as they made their way to Notre Dame. Who knew when he would get to hold her like this again? Hugging her wasn’t the same as this intimacy, the way she clung to his body with a soft smile. He wanted that with the real him.

He landed around the corner from Notre Dame and gently placed Marinette down. ‘Okay, I don’t know what he has planned, but if you move, I’ll try to follow along. Just get the pen off him. That’s all you have to do. I’ll take care of the rest and protect you. And don’t worry about that boy of yours for now.’

Marinette nodded. ‘Thanks, Chat.’ She gave him a bright smile, then turned away and walked to Notre Dame, and Adrien climbed up the cathedral and watched her. She didn’t look too confident, but she was putting on a good show. He just hoped that whatever happened that she wouldn’t get hurt. He wasn’t sure how he could sabotage and get Ladybug’s miraculous today without hurting Marinette. Not that it mattered. Ladybug wasn’t even here. Right now, his priority was protecting Marinette.

He watched as she walked around the Notre Dame, and she eventually spotted the akumatised Nathaniel aboard a boat. She looked around, as if for Chat, but her eyes couldn’t pick him out among the darkness and in the shadows of the gargoyles, and she got on the boat anyway.

Nathaniel looked up and a smile graced his features, then he hugged Marinette and Adrien clenched his jaw. It was hard to watch someone, especially someone with the capacity to hurt her, touch her, but he stayed where he was on the cathedral. As jealous as he felt, he admired Marinette, too. She was so brave to do this. But if he had his way, Marinette would never have to face danger again. He would protect her forever. Did that make him like his father? No. _Never. _He would never be like him. And Adrien didn’t want to lock Marinette up. He just wanted her to be safe. But she was so clever and brilliant. She could look after herself for the time being. But he would be here to help her.

He watched her talk with Nathaniel, then the boat set off, and Chat bounced from building to building, following them, until they came to a bridge. He vaulted down to it, then when the boat passed under it, he silently jumped down onto it.

Now on the boat, he had a better view. Marinette and Nathaniel were sat on what looked like a bench in the centre of the boat, a little close together for Adrien’s liking, but Marinette was making progress.

‘I love your drawings,’ she said. ‘They’re really good.’

‘T-thank you.’

‘I like drawing, too. Could I draw something for you for your birthday?’ she asked, hand held out for the pen. ‘I feel so bad because I forgot to bring you a present.’

‘I mean, I don’t mind. You’re here with me now. That’s all that matters.’ He rested his hand on her knee and Chat crept forwards. That was crossing the line.

‘Ah, please! I feel so bad,’ she said, one hand on the pen now.

Chat moved even further forwards, not noticing that his shadow fell too far forwards over Nathaniel, and he jumped up, snatching the pen off Marinette, and he glared at her.

‘You were working with him?! All this time! You’ll pay for this.’

Chat Noir leapt forwards then, baton out, stood in between Marinette and Nathaniel. ‘Stay away from her.’

‘You think… you’d think I’d hurt her?!’ Nathaniel laughed and shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t _ever_ lay a finger on Marinette. But I’m taking back my promise. I’m going for Chloé.’

Nathaniel drew a jetpack onto the tablet, and it appeared on his back. He flew up into the air then drew something else on his tablet, and out of the sky dropped a hollow clear box with one side missing, about to trap both Chat and Marinette inside.

Chat Noir easily batted it away and into the water, then he grabbed Marinette and jumped off the boat and onto the banks of the Seine.

‘I’m sorry, but I need to go and help Chloé,’ he said, looking her up and down to check she hadn’t been hurt. ‘Will be you be okay? Can you get home alone?’

‘I’ll be fine. Just make sure she’s okay.’

Chat nodded and turned to go.

‘Thank you for taking care of me, Chat!’ she called, and he turned around, saluted to her with two of her fingers, then took off in the direction of Chloé’s hotel, going as fast as he could. Not to save Chloé, though. He had to defeat Nathaniel’s akuma as quickly as possible, just on the off chance he diverted and went back for Marinette to actually harm her this time.

By the time he landed on Chloé’s balcony and darted into her bedroom, though, Ladybug was there, protecting Chloé, who was huddled in the corner, from a… giant shoe?

She wrapped her yoyo around the heel and the object disintegrated, and Chat smirked.

‘Well, well, well, looks like the cat dragged in my lady.’

She rolled her eyes fondly. ‘There was no dragging involved.’

‘Your secret mission over than? What was it?’

‘You don’t get the meaning of secret still, do you?’

Their conversation was interrupted when Nathaniel sent several pairs of inanimate boxing gloves towards them. Chat Noir whacked one away with his baton and jumped out of the path of another, and Ladybug hit the other with her yoyo, sending it careering into one of the lights in Chloé’s room and smashing it.

Nathaniel groaned in anger and ran to the next nearest light source, and Ladybug gasped.

‘Chat Noir! The lights! He can’t draw without them!’

‘Got it! Cataclysm!’ He ran over to the light switch, but as his hand made connection with the wall, the light switch was erased by Nathaniel, and the destruction superpower demolished the brick and plaster beneath his palm instead.

‘Time to see if cats really do land on their feet,’ Nathaniel said.

Before Adrien had time to react, the floor beneath him disappeared, and he quickly grabbed the edge of what was remaining, his feet dangling into the room below. He was slipping and wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer, but that wasn’t what was concerning him. His ring was beeping and he only had five minutes left. He wouldn’t even be able to attempt to get Ladybug’s miraculous today. He couldn’t let his identity be revealed. His identity took priority over Ladybug’s earrings.

‘Hurry, Ladybug!’ he shouted, and he heard her cry of lucky charm.

‘A bouncy ball…’ he heard her mutter, then a moment later, all of the lights in the room went off, and Adrien heard the swing of Ladybug’s yoyo.

‘No!’ Nathaniel shouted, but Adrien heard the snapping of a pen.

‘No more evil doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilise! Bye, bye, little butterfly. Miraculous Ladybug!’ Ladybirds flew around the room then, repairing everything, leaving Chat sat cross-legged on the floor instead of dangling between two rooms.

‘Thank god,’ Chat Noir muttered, then dashed over to Ladybug. ‘I only have two minutes left,’ he said as they bumped their fists. ‘See you next time?’

She nodded with a smile. ‘Bye, Chaton.’

He flashed her a fake smile, then ran off, vaulting himself over Chloé’s balcony and down to street level, and then into a nearby alleyway where he let the transformation drop.

Plagg came out of the ring, looking tired but with a tiny smirk on his face. ‘Enjoy your day with your princess then?’

Adrien blushed and handed his kwami a piece of cheese from out of his pocket. ‘Yes. But I’m worried about how much she’s worried about me. I need to try and be happier for her sake.’

Plagg frowned. ‘You shouldn’t be happy to stop Marinette from worrying. You should be happy because you are. Don’t pretend. It’ll make it worse, kid.’

Adrien nodded. Plagg was right. But he had Marinette. She made him happy at just the mere thought of her. As long as he had her, he would be okay.

…

**Tuesday 5th November 2019**

It was no surprise to Adrien when Marinette didn’t show up to school early the next morning. He imagined that she must have been tired after the events of last night. She probably didn’t get home until close to eleven o’clock. Adrien wanted her to have a rest. She had looked so concerned and vulnerable when she’d been sat with his alter ego atop the Arc de Triomphe when she’d told him how worried she was. And he did agree with Plagg. He shouldn’t pretend to be happy just for her sake. But he couldn’t help himself.

He was sat at a picnic table, looking sullen, but when Marinette bounced into the courtyard, he brightened up immediately. She was quickly becoming the most important thing in his life.

She spotted him amongst all of the other students and went over to him immediately but didn’t sit down. ‘I’m so sorry I didn’t come earlier. I had a late night.’

‘It’s alright, princess. You look beautiful today.’ She was wearing a pair of high-waisted jeans, red ballet pumps, and an off-the-shoulder white shirt with a lettuce leaf hem. She was wearing simple makeup, and her hair was in a messy bun, a few of the shorter hairs falling down onto her pale bare shoulders. She was a sight to behold.

‘How come you were up late?’

I’ll explain at my locker. We only have a few minutes until class starts and I need to grab a book.’

Adrien nodded and followed her to the locker room. ‘Go for it,’ he said.

‘Okay, so, Nathaniel got akumatised yesterday,’ she explained as she grabbed the book she needed out of her locker, ‘and Ladybug told me that the only way to stop him was to… essentially, go on a date with him.’

Adrien raised his eyebrows, doing his best to feign a mixture of surprise and anger. ‘She told you that?! What if Nathaniel hurt you?!’

‘He didn’t. And Chat Noir stayed with me the whole time to protect me.’

‘And you’re okay?’

Marinette nodded. ‘Nathaniel didn’t get anywhere near me.’

That was a lie. He’d touched her leg, but Adrien didn’t mention that. Instead, he brought Marinette into his arms and hugged her. ‘Good. I don’t know what I would have done if anything bad had happened to you.’

Marinette giggled against his chest. ‘Silly kitty.’

Adrien pulled out of the hug and leant against the lockers. ‘Did you like Chat Noir then?’ he asked with a smirk. ‘You said we’re similar, after all.’

‘Hmmm… he was very handsome and charming, but dare I say that I prefer you to him.’

‘So… you’re saying I’m more handsome than him?’

Marinette blushed. ‘I didn’t say that!’

Adrien chuckled, but he was cut off when Nathaniel called Marinette’s name.

She turned around, looking ever so slightly scared, and Adrien stepped closer to her. He would protect her if anything happened.

‘Nathaniel,’ she said. ‘Hi. Are you okay?’

The boy clutched his sketchpad to his chest, obviously nervous. ‘Yes. I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. You must have found me drawing you kind of creepy. And I did kind of force you into going on a date with me.’

Marinette shook her head with a smile. ‘Don’t worry about it. Here, actually, I got you this.’ Out of her bag she brought a small cake box, just big enough for a cupcake, and handed it to him. ‘For your birthday. It completely slipped my mind. I’m so sorry.’

Nathaniel smiled. ‘Thank you, Marinette.’

‘You have full permission to forget about my birthday in May.’

He laughed. ‘I won’t. Thank you for forgiving me, though. I’ll see you in class.’

He left the locker room and Marinette turned back to Adrien with a smile. ‘At least he’s okay.’

Adrien hummed. ‘I still don’t like the idea of him forcing you into a date with him.’

‘Me neither. But it’s fine. He was akumatised. I don’t think people act quite the same from what I’ve seen. Besides, Chat Noir took care of me yesterday, and my other kitty-’

‘Your preferred cat of choice,’ he interrupted, and she laughed.

‘Yes. My _preferred _kitty is here to protect me at school. Come on. We’re going to be late.’

They went to class together, spending the rest of the day with Nino and Alya, but when the final bell went, Juleka and Rose came over to their desks.

‘Hey, Marinette!’ Rose said, cheery as always, one of Juleka’s arms around her shoulders.

‘Hi, guys,’ Marinette said with a smile.

‘There’s someone I wanted you to meet,’ Juleka said. ‘I think you’ll like them. They’re outside school.’

‘Uh, sure.’ She followed Juleka and Rose out of the classroom, and Adrien looked to Alya and Nino.

‘What was that about?’

Alya smirked. ‘I have a feeling she’s taking Marinette to meet her older brother, Luka. I heard Juleka talking about him last week. He’s just moved back to Paris after finishing university. He used to be friends with Marinette before he left. He’s like twenty-one, twenty-two now.’

Adrien nodded, trying not to let any jealousy show on his face. ‘Did anything… happen between them?’

Alya laughed. ‘Not that I’m aware of. But I’ve been here as long as you. Nino?’

‘Don’t think so, man. Luka is like four years older than us, so I think he probably saw her as more of a sister. And I think Marinette just saw him as a friend. And, you know, he’s been at university for three years and he hasn’t contacted her once. But _I _want to talk to him. The dude’s a fellow musician.’

The three of them left then, Marinette, Juleka, and Rose a considerable way ahead, but as they reached the top of the steps, Adrien had to painfully watch as Marinette threw herself into Luka’s arms in a _very _enthusiastic hug.

‘Luka! You’re back!’

He smiled at her, and as Adrien, Alya, and Nino walked down the steps, the blond model couldn’t help but glare at Luka. The older man was giving Marinette a brief look up and down, and his smile widened. Adrien wanted to punch him. How dare he look at his princess like that. Why did she have to look so good today? Granted, she looked good every day. It wouldn’t have mattered.

‘That I am. And I’m here to stay. You’ve grown a lot.’

‘Yeah, I’m not fourteen anymore.’

The two of them laughed and Marinette noticed Adrien, Alya, and Nino hovering nearby. ‘Oh! You remember Nino, right?’

‘Yes! Nino, how’s it going?’ he asked as they fist-bumped.

‘Awesome, dude. You have to tell me what your music course in Amiens was like. I’m thinking of applying there for next year.’

‘Definitely. Let’s do coffee this weekend.’ His eyes shifted to Alya and Adrien. ‘And who are these?’

‘This is my girlfriend, Alya,’ Nino said, ‘and my best friend, Adrien.’

Luka frowned. ‘As in Agreste?’

‘For my sins,’ Adrien replied, his voice coming off drier than he intended it to, not disguising how pissed he was in the slightest, but fortunately, Luka laughed.

‘It’s great to meet you all. Juleka’s mentioned all of you and it would be good to get to know my little sister’s friends better since I’m back in Paris for good.’

Adrien tried not to frown. That was a real shame.

‘But actually, Marinette, could I walk you home? I’ve been dying to have some of your parent’s pastries.’

‘Of course.’

Just then, Nathalie and the Gorilla pulled up in the car and Adrien held in his groan. He couldn’t do much to stop Luka from walking Marinette the ten metres home when his every move was watched. Any deviation would be reported to his father.

With a sigh, Adrien adjusted his bag on his shoulder. ‘Sorry, guys, I have to be going.’

He broke away from the group at the bottom of Dupont’s steps, but when he was halfway to the car, a small hand grabbed his arm.

He turned around and smiled when he saw Marinette stood before him, looking up at him like he had stars in his eyes.

‘Did you need something?’ he asked.

She gave him one of her heart-warming smiles. ‘I wanted to say goodbye, kitty.’

He smiled at her. ‘Goodbye, princess.’ He was about to pull her in for a hug but stopped at the last second. ‘Can I ring you tonight? Before we go to sleep? And stay on until the morning again?’

Marinette’s face positively lit up at that. ‘Yeah. I’d like that.’

‘Good.’ He kissed the top of her head then hugged her, and then looked up to find that Luka was staring at them.

Adrien glared at the older man and tightened his hold on Marinette ever so slightly.

The message was clear.

_She’s mine._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparantly, 21-year-old Luka is a social butterfly.
> 
> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LilaChocolate17)


	9. Horrificator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette discuss their lack of first kisses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all being so patient! <3

**Tuesday 12th November 2019**

Having his makeup done wasn’t something Adrien enjoyed, but after modelling for a decade now, he knew it was a necessary evil in certain situations. But when he’d enrolled at Dupont. Adrien never thought for a second that he’d be wearing it here, but it was happening.

His entire class had stayed behind that day, including Chloé, to film a short horror film for a competition. Adrien was playing the lead, alongside Mylène. Nino was directing, Alya had written the script, and Juleka was on makeup.

‘Look up,’ she said, and Adrien did, using it as an excuse to look at Marinette. She was stood at his desk, giving the script one last read through. She was producing the film and was taking her job very seriously. But that didn’t stop her from showing up to do her job while looking gorgeous. It was getting chilly, so she was wearing a pale yellow hoodie, black leggings, and white trainers with yellow accents, and her hair was in a plait, tied at the end with a bow. Casual, but cute.

‘Done,’ Juleka said. ‘By the way, do you have a problem with my brother?’

Adrien raised his eyebrows. He didn’t expect someone as quiet as Juleka to come out with something like that. ‘Er, no? Why do you think that?’

‘You just seemed a little standoffish when you met him.’

‘Oh? Sorry. I didn’t mean to come across that way. I’ll apologise to him the next time I see him.’ _Which would preferably be never._

Happy with his polite but fake response, Juleka went off to do Mylène’s makeup, and seeing that he was free now, Marinette went over to him.

‘Like the script?’ he asked. ‘You’ve read it enough.’

She smiled and tossed it onto Mme Buster’s desk which Adrien was sat on. ‘I guess. It’s a bit ambitious, but Nino approved it so Alya wrote it. But they don’t seem to be getting on well because of it.’

As if on cue, a shout from the hall was heard. ‘You can’t just add things to the script, Nino!’

Adrien winced. ‘Ouch. I wouldn’t want to be on the wrong side of Alya.’

Marinette laughed. ‘Me neither.’

‘How’s Luka, by the way? Juleka and I were talking about him,’ Adrien asked, changing the subject. He didn’t want to talk about Luka, but he needed to ascertain how much time Luka was spending with his Marinette. She hadn’t mentioned him since he’d shown his face outside school when he’d arrived back in Paris, but Adrien didn’t want to carry on as if he had no competition. He had been trying to spend more time with Marinette, and now they were falling asleep with each other on the phone twice a week. He wasn’t going to give up so easily.

‘Luka?’ Marinette asked, not registering the name for a second. ‘Oh! Luka!’

Adrien held back his laugh. She didn’t even remember him. This was going better than he ever could have imagined. ‘Well? How is he?’

‘We haven’t spoken much, to be honest. He’s sent me a few of his songs that he wrote when he was at university, but he’s been busy with finding a job and setting up a band, and I’ve got a lot of work to do, too.’

_But you still find a couple of hours to chat to me before we fall asleep together. _‘Ah, yeah. I was just wondering.’

Nino and Alya came back into the room then, several sheets of paper in the hands of the director.

‘Okay, everyone, I’ve just added a quick scene,’ Nino announced.

‘Which he shouldn’t have,’ Alya muttered.

Nino pointedly ignored his girlfriend. ‘I’ve decided that the story needed a bit of romance. You know, to move it along. So, I’ve added in a kissing scene between Officer Jones and Agent Smith.’

He handed out the new scene and Adrien quickly read over it. The writing wasn’t great, and it didn’t fit in with the rest of the story. Not to mention Adrien didn’t want to kiss anyone else except the girl stood beside him.

He glanced over at her, finding that his princess was frowning.

‘You okay?’ he asked.

She quickly nodded, her frown replaced with a smile. ‘Yeah. It just doesn’t seem to make sense story wise.’

‘I wouldn’t worry about it for now,’ Adrien said. ‘At this rate, we probably won’t even get to do this scene.’ He jerked his head over to where Nino and Alya were arguing, and the DJ eventually sighed.

‘Let’s ignore it for now and go with one of the big monster scenes,’ he said. ‘Nathaniel, grab the guns.’

‘They’re phasers, Nino!’ Alya shouted, then stomped over to her desk and sat down.

Marinette rose her eyebrows. ‘Yikes,’ she whispered.

‘Yikes, indeed,’ Adrien said.

She went over to Alya, and Adrien crouched down behind Mme Bustier’s desk with Mylène. The small girl looked petrified.

‘You okay?’ he asked.

‘Yeah. I like acting but… I don’t like monsters.’

Adrien pulled a face. ‘But, it’s… Ivan. Your boyfriend.’

‘Yeah, but not with that mask on.’

He glanced over at where Ivan was sipping from a juice carton at his and Nino’s desk. The mask had been made by Rose, since she was on wardrobe. They had no budget, so she had to work with what they had in the art room. It wasn’t that scary. ‘Well, maybe being scared of it will be good, you know? Adds some real emotion to the film. It did eat your friends and family, after all.’

Mylène nodded with a smile. ‘Yeah. Thanks, Adrien.’

Nathaniel handed them both a plastic gun, and then he moved quickly away, so it was just the two of them on “set”. Max and Kim got into place with the camera, which was peering over the top of the desk, and Nino stood beside them.

‘Action!’ he shouted.

Adrien jumped right in. If they finished early, then Nathalie and the Gorilla wouldn’t be here yet and he could walk Marinette home and maybe spend some time with her in the bakery.

‘Agent Smith, it’s too dangerous. We must evacuate!’ he exclaimed. He had only been given this part because none of the other guys wanted it, and he was used to being in front of a camera, but he wasn’t a great actor.

‘You’re suggesting we run, Officer Jones?’ Mylène asked, delivering her line much better than he had his. ‘After it devoured my family, my friends, even my beloved dog, Sniffles? Never! I won’t run! I no longer… fear it.’ She stood up then, phaser at the ready. ‘I’m going to face it.’

That was Ivan’s cue. He abandoned his juice carton, leapt forward, and roared, but Mylène shrieked in terror.

Nino sighed. ‘Cut!’

Kim lowered the camera and Nino went around to the other side of the desk, where Mylène was now hidden.

‘I don’t want to sound mean,’ Nino said, ‘but you’re in the special forces. You’re not supposed to get scared. And we don’t have the time to run this scene over and over again. We only have a limited about of time before Mr Damocles comes back to lock up.’

‘I know,’ Mylène whispered, coming out from under the desk now. ‘That mask is just so scary.’

Chloé groaned from the back of the class where she was filing her nails, Sabrina sat next to her. ‘Oh, come on! Ivan’s literally wearing a sock over his head. He’d be scarier _without _the mask. I don’t know how you manage to kiss him.’

Ivan glared at Chloé, but said nothing, but Marinette did.

‘Chloé, Mylène is trying her best, and you’re certainly not helping by saying things like that.’

Adrien wanted to say something and defend Mylène, but he kept his mouth shut. The other week, when he’d “attempted” to rile Chloé up, he had an amazing dinner with his father. If he said nothing, then Mylène might get akumatised. He didn’t want to be the cause of it, though: he could never be the bully his father expected him to be. But he didn’t mind Chloé doing it for him.

‘It’s not even like she can act!’ Chloé carried on, ignoring everything Marinette had said. ‘It should be me up there with Adrikins. Especially now she gets to kiss him. Who the hell would ever want to kiss her?’

Mylène burst into tears then and ran from the room.

‘Mylène!’ Marinette shouted, and she and Ivan ran after her, and Adrien stared after them with a frown. He should have expected Marinette to do that. She was the kindest person Adrien had ever met. If Mylène got akumatised and Marinette was with her, she would get hurt. He should have defended Mylène for Marinette’s sake. Her safety mattered more to him than his father’s approval ever could.

He shifted from foot to foot, glancing at the door. Should he go after Marinette? Should he go to the bathroom and get transformed ready to save her?

He didn’t have to make that decision, as thankfully, Marinette came back into the classroom a few minutes later without either Mylène and Ivan.

‘What happened?’ Nino asked. ‘Where’s Mylène?’

Marinette sighed. ‘She’s not coming back, thanks to Chloé,’ she said with a glare at the blonde girl.

Chloé huffed. ‘Serves her right for not being to act well.’ She sauntered over to Adrien then. ‘Now, it’s time for me to take the part so I can kiss my Adrikins.’

He rolled his eyes and subtly shuffled away from Chloé. ‘I really think we should find Mylène instead…’ he muttered. He didn’t want to kiss either girl, especially since he’d never been kissed before, but if he had to do this, Mylène was the best worst option.

Chloé huffed again. ‘I can act way better than her. Besides, if we make Agent Smith a nurse, the romance will make so much more sense!’

Alya glared at Chloé. ‘We are not changing the script again!’

‘Hey, stop!’ Marinette said, stepping between the two girls. ‘I think Chloé’s idea is great. But you don’t look like a nurse. Why don’t you and Sabrina go down to the nurse’s office and try and find something?’

Chloé’s harsh face seemed to light up. ‘For once, you agree with me, Dupain-Cheng. Sabrina, let’s go.’

The two girls left, and once the classroom door shut, and Nino turned to Marinette with a frown. ‘And you made my new leading lady leave because…?’

‘Because this will give us some time to convince Mylène to come back. You know how Chloé is. She’ll take forever picking something.’

Ivan came back into the room then. ‘Good luck with that. I can’t even find Mylène now. She’s probably gone home. You’ll have to use Chloé.’

Nino groaned. ‘This is great…’

Adrien looked between them all. They were rapidly running out of girls to play Mylène’s part. Juleka was too shy to act, Rose was like Mylène: too scared, and Alix was disinterested, playing with her watch at the back of the classroom. There was only one option left.

‘Why don’t you play Agent Smith, Marinette?’ he asked with a genuine smile. He had no qualms about kissing her.

She blushed. ‘Oh! I- I don’t think… that’s a good idea…’

‘Come on, we’ll ease you into it,’ he suggested. ‘How about we start with a scene without the monster? Like the new kissing scene?’

Marinette’s entire face went red and Alya rose her eyebrows at Adrien.

‘Are you sure about that, Agreste?’ she asked.

He nodded, knowing how protective Alya was over Marinette. She just wanted the best for her friend, and he understood. ‘Of course. I have no doubt Marinette can do it. And we get on really well. We’re a perfect fit.’

Nino turned to Marinette. ‘Well?’

She looked away from Nino, but nodded.

‘Great! Positions, everyone!’

Marinette let out an embarrassing squeak and grabbed Alya’s arm. ‘Is this a good idea?’ she whispered.

‘You agreed, didn’t you? Besides, didn’t Adrien ask for you himself? That’s got to mean something.’

‘I know. I mean… the kissing. This will be my first kiss.’

Alya smiled. ‘Then this will be the cutest first kiss ever. Now, go!’

She pushed Marinette to where Adrien was waiting by the door, Nino ready with the camera.

‘You ready?’ Adrien asked and Marinette bit her lip.

‘I guess.’

‘It’ll be fine.’ He grabbed her hand and gave it a quick squeeze, then he let go.

‘And action!’ Nino shouted.

‘I-I’m not scared, O-Officer Jones!’ Marinette said, and Adrien smiled at her. She wasn’t the best actress, but she was trying her best and she was obviously nervous. And he wouldn’t mind doing multiple takes of this scene.

He wrapped his arm around his waist and pulled her close, and she went up onto her tiptoes to kiss him, but she shook her head and went back down onto her feet.

‘I’m sorry, I can’t,’ she whispered. Adrien could feel her shaking in his arms.

Nino sighed and lowered the camera. ‘Then why-’

Adrien held up a hand to stop his best friend from shouting at Marinette. ‘Just give us a moment outside.’

Nino rolled his eyes but nodded, and Adrien took Marinette’s hand again and led her outside the classroom, shutting the door behind them.

‘Is everything okay?’ Adrien asked as Marinette leant against the wall between the classroom door and windows that looked into it.

She shrugged. ‘I-I don’t know…’ she whispered. ‘I’m nervous.’

‘It’s just acting,’ he said, giving the hand of hers he was still holding a squeeze.

‘Not that. It’s the kiss. I…’ She looked away from Adrien. ‘I’ve never been kissed before.’

Adrien smiled. ‘Me, neither.’

She looked back up at him in surprise. ‘Really?’

Adrien nodded. ‘Being locked away in a mansion for most of your life will have that kind of consequence.’

Marinette let out a little laugh. ‘Yeah. I never thought about that. I just don’t want my first kiss to be in front of everyone.’

Adrien’s eyebrows rose in surprise. He had expected her to say that she didn’t want her first kiss to be with him. Not that. But it made sense. He didn’t want his first kiss to be in front of all of his classmates, either, now he was thinking about it. ‘Yeah, me neither. So…’ He bit his lip. ‘You don’t mind your first kiss being with me then?’

She couldn’t meet his eyes again. ‘No, I don’t mind if it’s you. And you don’t mind your first being me?’

‘Not at all,’ he said with a smile. ‘Do you want… do you want to practice? Out here?’ he asked, feeling very nervous now.

‘A-Are you sure? We should just go and tell Nino that we don’t want to do it.’ She glanced up at him. ‘Unless you want to. Do it. Kiss me, I mean.’

Adrien smiled. ‘I do. And you?’

‘I do,’ she whispered, her face a blushing mess, but she still looked gorgeous to Adrien.

With the hand that wasn’t already holding hers, he wrapped an arm around her waist. ‘Then let’s do it out here, where no one can see us.’

Marinette nodded and took a deep breath. ‘I-I’m n-not s-scared, O-Officer J-J-Jones,’ she said, her stuttering even worse than when they had been in the classroom.

‘Hey,’ Adrien said, squeezing her hand. ‘It’s alright.’ But it wasn’t. He could feel her shaking in his arms again. They weren’t going to do this if it made her this anxious. He wouldn’t force this on his princess. ‘Look at me.’

She shook her head. ‘I can’t…’

He removed his arm from around her waist and gently placed it on her cheek. ‘Please look at me, Marinette,’ he said gently, and she did this time, tears shining in her eyes.

‘Sorry. I’m just really nervous.’

Adrien smiled. ‘You have nothing to be nervous about. It’s just me.’

‘But it’s not just you, you’re perfect,’ she blurted out in her anxious state. ‘I don’t want to get this wrong.’

‘You won’t. You can’t. Because you’re perfect, too. I want to kiss you, Marinette,’ he said, ‘but not if you don’t want me to.’

She briefly glanced at his lips. ‘I want to. I want my first kiss to be you.’

Adrien’s heart soared at those words. He already knew she liked him. She had told his alter ego as much when he’d been protecting her when Nathaniel got akumatised. But to hear those words from her… Marinette truly was amazing. ‘I forgot to tell you that you look beautiful today,’ he said with a smile, gently caressing her cheek now.

She blushed. ‘Adrien…’

‘Forget the lines,’ he said, ‘let’s just kiss.’

Marinette smiled and squeezed his hand, resting her other on his bicep. ‘Okay.’ She went up onto her tiptoes, her head tilted upwards, and he leant down, about to press their lips together in their first kiss, but they were stopped by a shout.

‘Hey! Stop!’

The two teenagers stopped what they were doing, but they didn’t break apart. The shout had been loud, and on instinct, Adrien pulled Marinette closer to his body to protect her. They both looked around and saw Chloé and Sabrina running towards them.

I knew it, Dupain-Cheng! You never think my ideas are good! You just said that so you could have _my _Adrikins all to yourself!’

Marinette shook her head. ‘That wasn’t my intention-’

‘Like hell it was! You’ve been mooning over him ever since he arrived at Dupont. Well, you can’t have him! He’s mine!’

She went to yank Adrien’s hand out of Marinette’s, but he stepped away from Chloé, bringing Marinette with him. ‘Chloé, do _not _hurt her,’ he said, trying to keep the edge out of his voice, but he couldn’t help it. Whether or not Chloé was his friend, he did not want her hurting his princess.

Chloé ignored what he said and glanced around, as if looking for something, and her eyes widened. ‘Wait, where’s Nino? Why isn’t he filming?’ Realisation dawned on both Chloé and Sabrina’s faces. ‘Were you about to kiss for real?!’

The conversation went no further when Sabrina screamed, and the three of them all turned to the railings to see a creature, that seemed to be made of pink and blue slime, balanced on the railings. It grabbed Sabrina with its tail, then Chloé with one of its hands, then from out of its mouth, it spat slime at Adrien and Marinette.

With a shout, they sprang apart, now separated by a thin veil of slime that stretched from the mezzanine to the sheltered ceiling of the school. Adrien wanted to run to Marinette, but he couldn’t right now. If they wanted to be together, they’d have to run down the stairs and across the courtyard below, and that was too dangerous at the moment. It was safer to hide for now.

‘Go, Marinette!’ Adrien shouted, since she was nearest to the creature, and she did, running across the top of the mezzanine and into their science classroom. The creature went after her, but couldn’t get through the door. Marinette had blocked it with something. Adrien smiled and watched from behind the veil of goo as the creature took a shouting Chloé and crying Sabrina down into the school basement, seeming to have forgotten about him.

He ran down the hall and into M. Damocles’ office and shut the door, then slipped off one of his shoes.

‘What are you doing, kid?’ Plagg asked as he came out of Adrien’s pocket.

‘We need Chat Noir, but once the others work out what’s going on, they’ll start wondering where I am. I need to pretend I’ve been taken like Chloé and Sabrina. Ready to transform?’

Plagg shrugged. ‘As long as we get to talk about your near kiss with your princess later.’

Adrien grinned. ‘That means she likes me, right?’

‘I’m no expert, but I would say yes.’

His smile widened. ‘Plagg, claws out!’

…

Marinette tried to calm down her breathing. She had been about to _kiss_ Adrien_, _then that creature had come, and now she had just pushed Mme Mendeleiev’s desk against the door. When she had agreed to stay late after school to make a short film, she had not envisioned any of this.

‘Are you okay?’ Tikki asking, phasing out of Marinette’s pocket.

‘Yeah. That was an akuma, right?’

‘Yep! We need Ladybug!’

Marinette smiled at her kwami’s enthusiasm. ‘Yeah. Just give me a second to calm down before I transform.’

‘So, you can think more about Adrien?’ the kwami asked with a smirk.

Marinette blushed. ‘N-no.’

Tikki giggled. ‘It was very sweet. With how he was triple checking you were certain and making sure you were okay. So cute.’

Marinette nodded in agreement. ‘Yeah.’

‘You should just ask him out already.’

Her blush worsened. ‘I-I can’t do that!’

‘Why not?’

‘I don’t know if he likes me…’

Tikki stared at her in disbelief. ‘You are joking, right? He was going to let you be his first kiss! It’s obviously a big deal for both of you. He wouldn’t let just _anyone _do it.’

‘But that doesn’t mean he likes me.’

Tikki groaned. ‘We’ll talk about this later. We need Ladybug right now.’

Marinette nodded and pulled the ribbon out of hair that was holding her plait together and let it fall to the floor. ‘Tikki, spots on!’

…

Chat Noir came out of M. Damocles’ office, and after a quick glance around to make sure that the creature wasn’t there, he dashed around the balcony, down the stairs, and across the courtyard. He ran up the other set of stairs and to the science lab. ‘Marinette!’ he shouted, but there was no response from inside. He tried the door, which now pushed open, and he saw that whatever Marinette had moved to keep the door closed had now gone, and so had she. He already started to panic, but he tried to stay calm for her sake. Maybe she was just hiding under one of the desks in here?

As stepped forward, though, he saw the yellow ribbon that had been in Marinette’s hair. He picked it up and held it close to his chest. That _thing _had taken _his_ Marinette. He could feel the power of destruction bubbling beneath his fingertips as he imagined her getting harmed, but he shook the thought from his head. He had to save his power for when he found her so he could tear apart whoever it was that his father had akumatised. He knew this hadn’t been his father’s intention. He didn’t know how much Marinette meant to him. But he was still angry.

He jogged along to Mme Bustier’s classroom and entered, and everyone else was inside, cowering behind their desks.

‘Chat Noir!’ Alya exclaimed, standing up now. ‘What’s happened?!’

‘We heard a scream!’ Rose said.

‘There’s some weird slime creature in the school,’ he explained. ‘It’s taken Chloé and Sabrina, as well as Adrien. I found one of his shoes in the principal’s office. And I found this, too.’ He held up the ribbon and Alya gasped.

‘Marinette had that in her hair…’

‘So, it’s taken her as well. I saw that thing take Chloé and Sabrina down into the basement. They must be there as well. Come on, everyone.’

‘Not so fast, Chat.’

The black cat superhero only just managed to hold in his groan at the sound of Ladybug’s annoying voice. He turned with a fake smile to find her stood in the doorway. ‘My lady?’

‘We need to work out how to defeat this thing before we launch a rescue mission, There’s no point in trying to save them if we all get caught in the process.’

Chat all but rolled his eyes. ‘Of course.’ He couldn’t wait for the day when this charade would be over. He just had to get close enough to her to steal her earrings, and then he could act however he pleased to the girl beneath the mask.

…

‘Marinette!’ Adrien shouted, running through the crowds of parents, teachers, and his classmates to her. M. Damocles had returned to the school just as Mylène was deakumatised and to say he was in shock was an understatement. He’d immediately rung everyone’s parents, so Adrien has scarpered to somewhere safe to detransform, then he ran back to M. Damocles and told him he’d just rung Nathalie himself. This evening really hadn’t gone to plan, but he had an hour before he was due to be home, and he really wanted to spend it with Marinette. They needed to talk about their almost kiss.

She was stood outside the school, her arms wrapped around herself, but she didn’t seem to be harmed, and she looked up with a smile when she spotted him. ‘Adrien.’

When he got near enough, he hugged her and she melted right into his arms. ‘I was so worried about you, princess,’ he whispered into her hair, which had now fallen down due to the lack of ribbon.

‘Me, too, kitty,’ she said. ‘Do you have some time to come back to the bakery?’

Adrien smiled as he let her go. ‘I’m yours for an hour.’

Marinette’s face lit up. ‘Then let’s not waste a moment more.’ She grabbed his hand and pulled him across the road, then led him round to the side entrance of the bakery. She let herself in, and then two sets of footsteps thundered downstairs.

It was Tom and Sabine, and they both let out sighs of relief at the sight of their daughter.

‘We heard what happened!’ Sabine exclaimed as she hugged Marinette. ‘Are you okay? And you as well, Adrien?’ she asked, noticing him now.

‘We’re both fine, mum,’ Marinette said. ‘But is he okay to stay for an hour or so?’

‘Of course,’ Tom said. ‘You can get a drink in the bakery. But we didn’t have any cake left today.’

Adrien shrugged. ‘I think it’s getting a bit late for cake.’

Sabine laughed. ‘It’s never too late for cake. We’ll be in the living room if you need anything.’

They both went upstairs and Adrien stared after them, forlorn. Even when his mother had still been alive, his parents had never been like that together. Maybe they could try to be like that once he got his mum back.

Marinette led Adrien through into the bakery and she went over to the kettle. ‘What drink do you want?’

‘Whatever you’re having,’ he said with a yawn, sitting down at one of the few tables. Today’s akuma fight hadn’t particularly been gruelling, but his near kiss with Marinette had been playing on his mind, and possibilities of what if were starting to exhaust him now.

He watched as Marinette prepared the drinks with a soft smile. Her loose hair swished around, a pretty contrast to the pale yellow of her hoodie. He reached into his jeans pocket and twisted the yellow ribbon around his fingers. Should he give this back to her? He didn’t want to. And it was just a ribbon. It more than likely held no sentimental value to her. He wanted to keep it for himself, a small piece of her, a reminder of their near first kiss together. Not that he would be forgetting that in a hurry. He wanted to replay the moment forever in his mind.

‘Here. I made Oolong tea,’ Marinette said, setting two mugs down on the table.

‘Thanks,’ Adrien said, snapping out of his daydream. He took a sip and smiled.

‘Good?’ she asked.

‘Yeah. Just what I needed.’ He ran his finger around the rim of the mug. ‘I’m sorry about before.’

Marinette paused as she lifted the cup to her mouth. ‘What for?’

‘About the kiss. I know it didn’t happen, but I didn’t want you to think I was pressuring you into it.’

She shook her head with a smile. ‘No. Never, Adrien. I know I was nervous, but not because you were pressuring me. It was just because I’ve never been kissed before.’

‘Can I ask why that is, by the way? On my first day at Dupont, Kim told that almost every boy in the school has asked you out but you turned them all down. How come?’

Marinette shrugged. ‘They were all very nice, but I never had feelings for any of them. I’d rather save my first kiss for a guy I really like than just have a boyfriend for the sake of it.’

Adrien hid his smile behind the rim of his mug. She had been about to kiss him. That had to mean he was a guy she really liked, right? He so badly wanted to just reach across the table and kiss her right now, but he refrained. After the afternoon and evening they’d just had, Marinette deserved for her kiss to be something beautiful and romantic, not stolen in a closed bakery when they were both tired. But he wanted to be her first kiss – and her his.

His phone’s text alert went off then and he took it out of his pocket, groaning when he saw he had a message from Nathalie.

‘What is it?’ Marinette asked.

‘Nathalie heard about what happened at school, so she’s on her way to pick me up.’ He sighed. ‘I’m so sorry. I thought we would have longer.’

Marinette shrugged. ‘Don’t worry about it. Hey, in the morning, I’ll make two to-go cups of this and we can have them before class. And I’ll bring croissants, too.’

Adrien smiled and reached across the table for Marinette’s hand. ‘You’re too wonderful.’

She squeezed his hand. ‘It’s no problem, kitty.’

He reluctantly let go of her hand, took one last sip of his tea, then stood up. ‘Are you sure you’re okay? With the kiss thing?’

Marinette nodded. ‘Seriously, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.’ She bit her lip and looked away from him. ‘I wouldn’t have minded if Chloé hadn’t interrupted,’ she whispered and Adrien’s eyebrows shot up. Was she saying what he thought she was saying?

His phone went off again and Adrien held back his groan of annoyance. That meant Nathalie was probably here.

Marinette smiled and slid off her chair and walked over to the bakery’s main door. ‘You should be going. I’ll see you in the morning.’

Adrien reluctantly followed her and stepped outside. ‘Yeah. In the morning.’ He hugged her then, his face pressed against her hair. ‘Good night, Mari.’

‘Good night, kitty,’ she said, but instead of letting go of him, she tightened her grip on him, and they stood hugging in silence. Now wasn’t the moment to kiss her, but it felt like the moment to say something.

‘I meant what I said, princess,’ he whispered. ‘Outside the classroom. I want to kiss you.’ And then he turned and left, leaving a blushing girl stood in the entrance to the bakery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Captain Hardrock!
> 
> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


	10. Captain Hardrock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien prioritises Marinette over Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for abuse (not much happens in comparison to other chapters so far)

**Saturday 23rd November 2020**

‘Hold still a second longer, Rose,’ Marinette said, pinning together two pieces of fluorescent pink fabric. She was aboard the Couffaine’s boat, helping with the costumes for tonight’s concerts across Paris. Luka was in the process of sending out samples of his work to music producers, and in the meantime, he had put together a band with Juleka, Rose, and Ivan, called Kitty Section. She highly doubted that name was Luka’s idea, but it was different, and Mayor Bourgeois had selected them to play for one of tonight’s concerts. It would be held here, on Anarka’s boat, and Marinette was making their outfits. She had done Luka’s, Ivan’s, and Juleka’s, but she hadn’t quite finished Rose’s.

‘There,’ Marinette took the now pinned together shoulder panels off Rose, and the blonde girl smiled at her.

‘Do you know if Adrien is coming by today?’ she asked.

Marinette smiled. ‘I’m not sure. Maybe later.’ In truth, she really had no idea. Adrien had told her he wanted to go yesterday at school, but when she’d texted him last night to ask what time he would at the Couffaine’s boat for (and also if he wanted to fall asleep on the phone with her but Rose didn’t need to know that), he hadn’t replied, nor had he this morning. If she was being honest, she was a little worried. She didn’t know the full extent to what control Gabriel exacted over Adrien, but she didn’t want him to miss out on today. She knew he loved music, his piano playing the only scheduled activity he truly liked. It would be a shame if Gabriel didn’t let him attend today. And not just because she wouldn’t get to spend time with Adrien. Maybe he was staying away because of what he said outside the bakery? About wanting to kiss her? She didn’t know.

Rose smiled again. ‘I’m sure he’ll be along later. Do you want to hear one of our songs?’

Marinette brightened up. She had always enjoyed listening to Luka’s music. Still holding the pinned together material, she went over to where Mylène and Alya were sat on one of the benches opposite the makeshift stage on deck.

‘You’ll need these,’ Mylène said, handing Marinette a pair of earplugs.

Marinette took them with raised eyebrows, then glanced over at her four friends on the stage. Would it really be that loud?

Luka plugged the lead from his electric guitar into the amp and gave it a strum, and the air around them seemed to vibrate from the sheer volume of the single instrument.

Marinette quickly put the earplugs in, and Kitty Section began their song, but earplugs weren’t enough. The song was good, but it was far too loud, only proven by how a few moments later, Officer Raincomprix’s police car pulled up on the bank. He stomped up the gangplank and yanked the cord linking the amp to Luka’s electric guitar out, and the music abruptly stopped.

‘Mr Couffaine!’ Officer Raincomprix exclaimed. ‘Are you aware that the noise you are making exceeds the legal decibel limit?!’

There was a laugh from behind where Marinette, Alya, and Mylène were sat, and Anarka, Luka and Juleka’s mum, came out of the cabin where the ship’s steering wheel and compass were.

‘It’s going to be a lot louder than that tonight.’

Officer Raincomprix’s face went incredibly red with anger and the two adults began arguing.

Marinette winced at the volume, even though she still had the earplugs in. She popped them out, grabbed Rose’s pinned together costume, and went over to Luka.

‘Hey, do you think I could go below deck to sew this together? I can’t really concentrate up here.’

Luka gave her a kind smile. ‘Of course. You can do it in my room.’

She returned his smile. ‘Thanks.’ She climbed down the ladder that led into the hull of the ship. She used to come here all the time before Luka had gone off to university. They had been really good friends, and Marinette had a feeling that Luka had wanted to ask her out, but he never had done, and she was happy about that. She would have turned him down: she had no feelings for him and she wouldn’t want that to ruin their friendship.

She wasn’t stupid. She heard the rumours around school about all of the boys asking her out and getting rejected.

It’s not as if it was a lie. The vast majority of the boys at school _had _asked her out. Apart from one. Adrien. The only boy she had ever had feelings for.

Marinette navigated herself to Luka’s room and sat herself down on the bed and began sewing the panel pieces together by hand, listening for any cars pulling up on the bank, signalling Adrien’s arrival. But there was nothing. Was he really not going to come? She would be okay if she didn’t see him today, but she wanted to. He had told her he was coming, but now she hadn’t heard anything. If he wouldn’t come, then Marinette wished he would tell her instead of ignoring her.

Luka came into the room then, just as the shouting on the deck ceased.

‘Did your mum sort it out?’ she asked, not looking up from her sewing, but she felt the bed dip beside her.

‘Nope. And if she won’t turn it down, then Officer Raincomprix said we’ll be pulled from the concerts.’

Marinette tutted. ‘That’s not good. But, in all fairness, it was a bit loud.’

Luka chuckled. ‘Just a bit. Thank you for making all of the costumes, by the way.’

She smiled up at him. ‘You’re welcome. Honestly, you’re doing me a favour by letting me make them. I can use them for my fashion college portfolio.’

‘You still want to go?’

Marinette nodded and returned to sewing. ‘It’s my dream job.’

‘Is that why you’re friends with Adrien Agreste?’

‘Oi.’ She poked him with the needle and he yelped.

‘You know I’m not like that,’ she said. ‘We’re good friends, that’s all. His father has nothing to do with it. And besides, I’ve already won a competition with his dad. Adrien didn’t help. My talent speaks for itself.’

‘Of course. I just wish I could catch a lucky break like you.’

She smiled up at him. ‘I know you will.’

‘Thanks. Can I play you a song? Not electric.’

Marinette put her sewing to one side. ‘Sure.’

Luka grabbed one of the acoustic guitars mounted on the wall and started to play. The song was soft and gentle and she liked it, but she would have much preferred it if Adrien playing the piano for her. Where was he?

…

With his eyes closed, Adrien let his fingers drift up and down the piano keys. He knew the piece of music by heart, but that wasn’t why his eyes were closed. They were shut to dissuade the tears that wanted to fall. His father had promised him that he could go to the concerts today, and he’d been so grateful, especially when he found out that Marinette would be spending the whole day with Luka. He’d even told Marinette he’d be there. But his father argued with him last night about how he hadn’t made any headway with getting Ladybug’s miraculous.

_‘You smile at her as if you’re friends,’ his father said._

_‘Because I’m trying to get her to trust me,’ Adrien tried to explain. ‘She’s a friendly person. I don’t think she’ll respond well to violence.’_

_Gabriel scoffed. ‘I don’t care if you have to rip the earrings off her. You should have done it by now. Give me your phone.’_

_Adrien narrowed his eyes. ‘No,’ he said._

_Gabriel slapped him, then grabbed Adrien’s phone from the bed. It was locked, but he read the message notification on the screen and laughed. ‘Your “Princess” wants to know what time you’ll be going to the music festival tomorrow. That’s a never.’_

_Adrien clenched his jaw. He wanted to complain, to say his father had already said he could go. But he held his tongue. He had to be careful with what he said next. It could endanger both him and Marinette. ‘What if there’s an akuma?’_

_Gabriel let out a hollow laugh and pocketed his son’s phone. ‘So what if there’s an akuma? If I make one, you’ll just help Ladybug save the day.’_

His father left his bedroom then, locking it as he went, and apart from when Nathalie had delivered his breakfast this morning, it had stayed that way.

Adrien wasn’t even upset about the slap. In comparison to everything else his father had done, that was nothing. He was upset about Luka. He had a whole day to spend with Marinette, a substantial chance for her to develop feelings for him, and Adrien didn’t want to give that any chance of happening. And on top of that, he hadn’t been able to text his princess back. It was like he was ignoring her. He wasn’t, well, he was, but he couldn’t do anything about it. He didn’t ever want to make Marinette feel like that.

He held the final note of the melancholy song, and when he opened his eyes, Plagg was sat atop the piano with a smile on his face.

‘How’s it going, kid?’

Adrien just shrugged. ‘Not great. I want to be with Marinette so badly, but she probably thinks I’m ignoring her. I know she likes me, too, after what she said to Chat on the Arc de Triomphe, but I’ve probably really hurt her feelings by not replying or showing up today, and Luka’s going to be there to comfort her.’ He sighed. ‘It’s probably for the best if I’m not with Marinette,’ he admitted with a heavy heart. ‘I want to be with her just as much as I want my mum back, but bringing her into this toxic world would just hurt her even more.’ Adrien shook his head. ‘But I don’t know why I’m even bothering telling you. ‘It’s not like you understand.’

Plagg folded his little arms. ‘I understand it very well.’

Adrien raised an eyebrow. ‘Because of Tikki?’

A slight blush overcame Plagg’s face. ‘Because of other people who have worn the black cat miraculous.’ And then he mumbled, ‘and yes, because of Tikki.’

The blond model couldn’t help but smile. ‘You like her?’

‘…yes.’

‘Tell me about her.’

Plagg’s blush worsened. ‘She’s really sweet. I don’t think she likes me very much. The last time we were in the miracle box together, she told me I smelt. We don’t get to see each other a lot, though. We’re not usually both in the miracle box at the same time. And I didn’t really get a chance to say goodbye to her.’

Adrien bit his lip. ‘Sorry about that.’

The kwami shrugged. ‘It’s fine. I’ve gone longer without seeing her. But you should go and see Marinette.’

Adrien sighed. ‘Why? What’s the point?’

‘Because you’re falling for her, and I think you’ll regret it if you don’t try. Forget your father, kid. Do what you want.’

Adrien turned around from the piano and glanced at the open window. As Chat Noir, he could make the jump the garden wall. He could leave and do anything once he transformed. And Adrien felt the urge to, but ultimately didn’t. He had everything he could need or want in this room, apart from Marinette, and even though he had the ability to leave, he didn’t want to. He could see the irony in that. His father had locked his bedroom door, knowing that Adrien could leave another way, while simultaneously knowing he wouldn’t take it.

With a sigh, he got up from the piano stool and sat on the settee. From behind one of the cushions, he took out Marinette’s yellow ribbon and twirled it between his fingers. He had put it there to hide it since it was an unassuming place, but it just made him miss Marinette more. He put the ribbon back and put on the television. Maybe there would be some footage of the city-wide preparations for all of the concerts tonight.

‘Don’t be amused, it’s just the news! Nadja Chamack here. This just in, an akuma has been spotted aboard a ship on the Seine.’

On the screen besides Nadja popped up a picture of the Couffaine’s boat, and Adrien’s eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. All he could think of was Marinette and the danger she might be in. He couldn’t stay here.

Plagg flew over then. ‘What are you going to do, kid?’

‘Plagg, claws out!’ he shouted without any hesitation.

‘Neither Ladybug nor Chat Noir have shown up…’ Nadja said and Adrien scowled. How dare Ladybug leave his princess in danger like that. He knew that she didn’t know how he felt about Marinette, but there was no excuse for leaving any civilian in the lurch like this.

He would help Ladybug capture the akuma today, but only for Marinette’s safety. After today, he would officially be against Ladybug. His father was right. He wouldn’t get anywhere by being nice to Ladybug and getting her to trust him. He had to take her miraculous by force.

He leapt out of the window and onto the high perimeter ledge that surrounded the Agreste mansion, then vaulted down with his baton to street level. He sprinted all the way to the banks of the Seine, following along the destruction until he saw the Couffaine’s ship. He had never seen it before, but he was willing to bet that it didn’t usually look like this, with a huge skull on the sail and a big guitar for the bowsprit. He could see Anarka walking around on deck, akumatised, but the only thing running through his mind was _Marinette Marinette Marinette_.

He couldn’t wait and form an action plan. He needed to save her and he needed to do it quickly. He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself if his princess got hurt.

Using his baton as like a pole vault, he launched himself onto the ship, and almost immediately, Anarka sent chains flying in his direction and secured him to one of the masts.

He cried out. They didn’t hurt him, but like this, he couldn’t save Marinette. ‘Cata-’

The chains fell from around him and he saw Ladybug stood in front of him, yoyo swinging. ‘Too soon, kitty,’ she said, a light smile on her face.

He didn’t return it. Instead, he scowled at her, which only worsened when he saw Alya, Mylène, Rose, Juleka, Ivan, and Luka stood behind her. There was no sign of Marinette.

‘Where is she?!’ he shouted, desperate.

The smile faded from Ladybug’s face. ‘Who?’

‘Marinette!’

‘Oh… I don’t know.’

He felt the destruction power bubble beneath his fingertips as his anger grew. ‘How can you not know?!’

Everyone looked surprised, and oddly, Luka stepped forward. ‘She’s alright. She escaped.’

Luka telling him didn’t make Chat feel any happier. In fact, it made him angrier.

‘We’ll talk about this later,’ Ladybug said, seeming a little shaken. ‘Cover me whilst I get everyone off the ship.’

He did as she said, blindly knocking the chains that Anarka sent their way to the side. His movements were rash and quick, but he just wanted this to be over so he could find his princess. She’d escaped, but she’d been on a ship. How close had she been to the bank? Did she get hurt getting there? Or did she fall into the water and maybe hit her head? What if she was drowning? Marinette was more important than his classmates. And _certainly_ more important than Luka Couffaine.

Finally, Ladybug escorted the last of them to the bank, and the chains seemed to fly at them even quicker, Captain Hardrock cackling all the while.

‘Use your lucky charm already!’ Chat shouted. He was getting increasingly worried about Marinette. He wasn’t going to stay here for much longer, consequences from his father be damned.

Thankfully, she listened to him, and in her hands landed a chain of her own, this one with a clasp at both ends to hold it together. She glanced around, still deflecting the chains with her yoyo, and then she smiled.

‘I’ve got it!’ She undid the chain and handed one end to Chat, keeping the other for herself, and they ran at Captain Hardrock, chaining her to the wheel and compass of the ship.

Anarka cried out. ‘No! Not near the compass!’

The needle went crazy because of the metal nearby it, and Chat lifted his hand in the air.

‘Cataclysm!’ He placed it on the compass, and it disintegrated, taking the ship’s remodel with it and restoring Anarka and the Liberty.

He watched as Ladybug cleansed the akuma, then she threw the lucky charm into the air. ‘Miraculous Ladybug!’

The glowing ladybugs flew in the air around them, but the whole time, Chat Noir just scowled at her. He wasn’t going to take her earrings this time. But he was going to give her fair warning for how things were going to from now.

‘Chaton?’ she asked, and he registered the confusion in her voice. She’d seen the filthy look on his face. She didn’t understand. But she was about to.

Glaring now, he walked towards her, able to feel her breath on his face. ‘This is the last time.’

‘What? What are you talking about, Chat?’

‘The last time I’ll help you. I’m not here to help you save Paris. I’m here to take your miraculous.’

Ladybug backed away from him. ‘Chat Noir… why…’

‘I need them more than you,’ he said with a smirk.

She covered her ear lobes with her hands and he just laughed. ‘I won’t take them from you today. But here’s your warning. The next time there’s an akuma, I’ll be out for your earrings.’

He took his baton out and walked to the edge of the boat.

‘But… why now?’ she asked, calling out to him.

He looked over his shoulder at her. ‘Because of Marinette.’ He launched off then, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the ground below for his princess. He didn’t have long to look for her. His father knew his akuma had been cleansed. He would expect him back at the mansion. But he didn’t care. He had to find Marinette.

After half an hour of searching with no luck, he went back to the Liberty, and from atop a house, he watched as Marinette walked back onto the boat. He breathed a sigh of relief. She really had escaped safely. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take back what he said to Ladybug. He needed her miraculous, and he would do whatever it took to get it.

…

‘Don’t be bemused, it’s just the news! Nadja Chamack here. This just in: Chat Noir is as bad as Hawk Moth. He wants Ladybug’s miraculous, too!’

That was the news segment that Adrien heard playing as he landed back in his bedroom. He stood there, still as Chat Noir, his father sat on the settee in his room. He was the one watching television.

He let his transformation drop and walked over to Gabriel. ‘Father?’

The man smiled up at him. ‘Good job. Well, you haven’t got her miraculous yet, but this is a start. We need to talk strategy, but-’

He was cut off when his son launched himself down onto the settee and wrapped his arms around him in a hug. Gabriel managed a small smile and lightly patted Adrien’s shoulder.

Adrien pulled away with a smile. ‘I’m glad I made you happy, father.’

Gabriel hummed, the smile disappearing. ‘You’ve made progress. So, you can go to the festival.’

Adrien’s face lit up. ‘Seriously?!

The older man nodded and took Adrien’s phone out of his blazer pocket. ‘Be home by ten.’

Adrien grabbed his phone, hugged his father once more, and then he was gone. He ran out of his room and the mansion and sprinted all the way to where the Liberty was moored on the Seine. Thankfully, they hadn’t set off yet, and he bounced onboard.

‘Hi, Adrien!’ Rose chimed from where she was stood at the mic on top of the small stage that had been set up on the boat.

He smiled at her, but then his eyes found Marinette. She was at the other side of the boat, talking to Anarka, but she had obviously heard what Rose had said with how she turned to look at him and the way her whole face lit up.

She quickly said something to Anarka, and then she was walking over to him with a smile on her face.

‘I thought you weren’t coming,’ she said when she got close enough.

‘I couldn’t possibly stay away from you.’

She smiled, and then she hugged him, burying her face against his chest.

‘I thought you were ignoring me,’ she whispered.

He tightened his arms around her. ‘Never, princess. I lost my phone, can you believe?’

He felt her quiet laugh against his chest. ‘Not really, kitty. But I’ll let it slide since you’re here now.’

They pulled out of the hug and Marinette took his hand and led him over to where Alya and Mylène were sat on the benches across from the stage. Mylène was smiling as she watched her boyfriend tighten and test the drums, and Alya was furiously scrolling through her phone.

‘I seriously can’t believe Chat Noir,’ the aspiring journalist said, not looking up from her phone. ‘He’s just… I thought he and Ladybug were great together, but now he’s after her miraculous, too. And why is he obsessed with you?’ she asked.

‘Who’s he obsessed with?’ Marinette asked.

‘You,’ Alya said, finally glancing up at them. ‘The whole reason he’s going for her miraculous is because Ladybug hadn’t saved you.’

Adrien scowled. That wasn’t the whole reason. But it definitely played into it.

‘Do you even know Chat Noir?’ Alya asked.

‘Erm… we briefly met when Mylène was akumatised at school,’ she said, and Adrien narrowed his eyes. He’d never spoken to her during that akumatisation. In fact, he hadn’t even seen her. All of he’d found of her was her ribbon. Why was she lying?

Alya hummed. ‘You better hope this doesn’t escalate. If it does, Ladybug might use you as a target to lure out Chat Noir.’

Adrien grabbed Marinette’s hand then and his princess turned to him in surprise.

‘Sorry,’ he said. ‘I just don’t want you to get hurt.’

She smiled at him. ‘I doubt Ladybug would use me. I wouldn’t worry about it.’ Even so, she squeezed his hand and didn’t let go of it, and Luka came over to them then, eyes glancing to their joined hands.

‘You finally joined us, Adrien.’

The blond model smiled up at him. ‘Yes. Sorry, I’m late.’

Luka looked like he wanted to say something else, but then he turned and went back onto the stage, and Adrien shuffled closer to Marinette.

‘You look beautiful today, by the way,’ he said, loud enough that a retreating Luka would have heard.

She smiled at Adrien. ‘Thank you.’ They both faced the stage, but they still held hands, staying that way for the entire concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next: Volpina ;)
> 
> Come and say hi!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://www.lilacchocolate.tumblr.com)


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